Method of forming an inlay substrate having an antenna wire

ABSTRACT

Forming an inlay comprising an antenna wire having two end portions and a site for a transponder chip, comprises: mounting the wire to a surface of substrate; and leaving the end portions of the antenna wire free-standing, as loops adjacent terminal areas of a site on the substrate for the transponder chip. With the transponder chip installed on the substrate, the free-standing loops are repositioned to be substantially directly over the terminals of the transponder chip, in preparation for interconnection of the loops to the terminals of the transponder chip, then are bonded to the terminals. An embedding tool for mounting the wire on the substrate may embed the wire in or adhesively place a self-bonding wire on a surface of the substrate. The substrate may have two transponder chips, and function as a secure inlay. An anti-skimming feature is included in the inlay.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims benefit of the following US ProvisionalPatent applications, all of which are incorporated by reference in theirentirety herein:

-   -   60/826,923 filed 26 Sep. 2006 by Finn (hereinafter “S4”),    -   60/883,064 filed 1 Jan. 2007 by Finn (hereinafter “S5”),    -   60/884,158 filed 9 Jan. 2007 by Finn (hereinafter “S6”),    -   60/887,294 filed 30 Jan. 2007 by Finn (hereinafter “S7”), and    -   60/894,469 filed 13 Mar. 2007 by Finn (hereinafter “S8”).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the invention relates to mounting (either embedding in orplacing on) an antenna wire on an insulating substrate, such as for (butnot limited to) a secure inlay.

In another aspect, the invention relates to method and apparatus forembedding an antenna wire in an insulating substrate, such as for (butnot limited to) a secure inlay.

In another aspect, the invention relates to techniques for preparingends of an antenna wire mounted to a substrate for connection toterminals of an RFID (transponder) chip, such as for (but not limitedto) a secure inlay.

In another aspect, the invention relates to secure inlays themselves,containing radio frequency identification (RFID) chips.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the production of access control cards, contactless payment cards(credit/debit), dual interface cards, health cards, national e-ID cards,electronic passports and driving licenses, an “inlay” containing an RFID(Radio Frequency Identification) chip (typically packaged in a module)and an antenna is manufactured separately from the final product (e.g.,electronic passport).

The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, in cooperationwith the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), plan to develop andimplement a card-format passport, a credit-card-size travel document.The Passport Card will be an alternative format document to thetraditional book-style passport for presentation at U.S. land bordercrossings.

The Passport Card shall display the citizen's facial image andbiographic information as well as having machine-readable capabilitycompliant with ICAO 9303 and an embedded Radio Frequency (RF)-capableintegrated contactless circuit (ICC) and antenna.

The tamper-resistant/counterfeit-resistant Passport Card stock shallhave embedded ISO/IEC 18000 6C compliant RF capability.

The embedded integrated contactless circuit (ICC) shall be EPCglobalClass-1 Generation-2 UHF RFID certified and the card shall comply withEPCglobal Class-1 Generation-2 UHF RFID standards.

The conventional method to produce an inlay is to embed insulated wireinto a synthetic material or coated substrate, form an antenna with anumber of turns and interconnect the wire ends of the antenna to atransponder chip module. Etching and silkscreen printing can also beused to form the antenna, and the interconnection process can be viaflip-chip technology. An additional antenna (for inductive coupling) notconnected to the RFID chip can also be used to augment the read/writerange of the transponder inlay.

The bonding of the IC (integrated circuit) to the chip module and theinterconnection of the antenna to the module are critical elements ofthe electronic passport (for example). Generally, the mechanicalresistance of these components are major drivers of durability.

In the case of a “secure” (as used herein, “secure” implies usingcontactless communication) smart card, the inlay is typically producedby an inlay manufacturer, then it is sent in a “pre-laminated” state tothe secure card manufacturer for final lamination with upper & lowerprinted sheets (integration into the finished product). Similarly, inthe production of electronic passports the pre-laminated inlay (hot orcold laminated) is sent to the government printing office for insertioninto the passport booklet.

After integration of the inlay into the finished product,personalization (key transfer, programming and initialization) of thesecure card (for example) is performed by a personalization bureau orletter-shop, and the individualization of an electronic passport (forexample) can either be before or after the printing process, commonlyknown as pre- & post-personalization at the issuing authority. In thecase of electronic passports, national identity cards and drivinglicenses, the personalization is implemented with a single documentprinter.

The fact that the personalization (individualization) of the finishedproduct with the user credentials is performed at the end of the valuechain means that security issues arise from the loss of chips, inlaysand finished products before this final process. In addition, yield lossalong the entire production process must be accounted for and securelystored.

Firstly, it can be argued that the RFID chip with encryption technologycould be used to store critical data relating to the production process,but this argument is only valid if the transponder functions correctly.Secondly, the critical data could be stored at a certified trust centreor central database and could be accessed by scanning the machinereadable zone (OCR-B characters—Optical Character Recognition) on thepassport, but this defeats the purpose of an electronic travel document.

Although, the US legislation on border control “Enhanced Border Securityand Visa Reform Entry Act” stated that the countries with which the USAhas a visa waiver arrangement should have a biometric passport issuanceprogram. And according to the legislation, these passports need to betamper-proof machine-readable passports (MRP) that incorporatecontactless IC chips, as well as biometric identifiers (facial images,fingerprints, iris scans) that comply with standards established by ICAO(International Civil Aviation Organization), the problem ofaccountability of the passport in the value chain is not resolved.

The current state of the art for dual transponder cards & inlays is thecombination of low (125 KHz) and high (13.56 MHz) frequency devices,primarily for access control, ticketing and vending (micro-payment).

Contactless chip card technology is based on two standards: ISO/IEC14443 Type A and Type B (for proximity cards), and ISO/IEC 15693 (forvicinity cards). Cards that comply with these standards operate at the13.56 MHz frequency. ISO/IEC 14443 products have a range of up to 10 cm(centimeters), while ISO/IEC 15693 products can operate at a rangebetween 50 and 70 cm.

As used herein, the word “chip” can encompass many configurations of asilicon die or a packaged chip. The silicon die for example can havemetalized bumps to facilitate the direct connection of the wire ends ofan antenna to form a transponder or tag device. A package chip caninclude various structures such as a tape automated bonding module, achip module, a flip chip module, a lead frame, a chip carrier, a strap,an interposer or any form of packaging to facilitate transpondermanufacturing.

The conventional method to produce an inlay site containing a highfrequency RFID chip and an antenna embedded into a multi-layer substrateand connected to the terminal areas of the RFID chip, is to embed a wireconductor into the top substrate layer in the direction of the RFID chipresiding in a recess and supported by a lower substrate layer, then toguide the wire conductor over the first terminal area of the RFID chip,continue the embedding process by countersinking the wire conductor intothe top substrate layer to form an antenna with a given number of turnsand then guiding the wire conductor over the second terminal area andfinally embedding the wire conductor again into the top substrate layerbefore cutting the wire to complete the high frequency transponder site.In the next stage of the production process the wire ends passing overthe terminal areas are interconnected by means of thermal compressionbonding.

An array of transponder sites may be formed on the top substrate layerand the additional layers of substrate form the resulting inlay, forfurther processing by security printers, contactless smart card andelectronic passport manufacturers.

For the purpose of clarity, it is necessary to distinguish between theprocess of embedding a wire conductor into a substrate layer and theprocess of placing a wire conductor onto a substrate layer, as well asthe apparatus used to implement the procedures.

The process of wire embedding (or scribing) involves the countersinkingof a wire conductor into the surface of a substrate. The process of wireplacement involves the adhesion of a self-bonding coated wire conductorto the surface of a substrate.

The wire embedding apparatus is an ultrasonic wire guide tool, known asa Sonotrode, with a wire feed channel (capillary) passing through thecentre of the wire guide tool. The wire conductor is fed through thewire guide tool, emerges from the tip, and by application of pressureand ultrasonic energy the wire conductor is rubbed into the substrate,resulting in localised heating of the wire conductor and subsequentsinking of the wire conductor into the substrate material during themovement of the wire guide tool.

The wire placement apparatus is also an ultrasonic tool similar infunction to an ultrasonic horn which heats the wire to form an adhesionwith a substrate.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,698,089 (“089”), incorporated by reference in itsentirety herein, discloses device for bonding a wire conductor. Devicefor the contacting of a wire conductor (113) in the course of themanufacture of a transponder unit arranged on a substrate (111) andcomprising a wire coil (112) and a chip unit (115), wherein in a firstphase the wire conductor (113) is guided away via the terminal area(118, 119) or a region accepting the terminal area and is fixed on thesubstrate (111) relative to the terminal area (118, 119) or the regionassigned to the terminal area by a wire guide and a portal, and in asecond phase the connection of the wire conductor (113) to the terminalarea (118,119) is effected by means of a connecting instrument (125).Attention is directed to the figures and descriptions of FIGS. 1-3 whichshow a tool for embedding a wire conductor on a substrate. Moreparticularly,

-   -   FIG. 1 shows, in a schematic representation, the wiring of a        wire conductor 20 on a substrate 21 by means of a wiring device        22 with a wire guide 23 which is subjected to the action of        ultrasound.    -   The wiring device 22 represented in FIG. 1 is designed to be        capable of being displaced along three axes and is subjected to        the action of ultrasound which stimulates the wire guide 23 to        execute oscillating transverse movements (arrow 24), which in        the example represented in FIG. 1 are aligned perpendicular to a        wiring plane 28 spanned by lateral edges 25, 26 of a substrate        surface 27.    -   For the purpose of wiring, the wire conductor 20 is moved out of        a wire-guide nozzle 30 while executing a continuous advancing        movement in the direction of the arrow 29, whereby at the same        time the wire guide 23 executes a wiring movement 29 which        extends parallel to the wiring plane 28 and which in FIG. 1 can        be retraced from the course of the wire-conductor section        already wired on the substrate 21. On this wiring movement,        which extends in the region of the front lateral edge 25 in the        direction of the arrow 29, the oscillating transverse movement        24 is superimposed. This results in an impinging or impacting of        the wire-guide nozzle 30 on the wire conductor 20 which is        repeated in rapid succession corresponding to the ultrasonic        frequency, leading to a compression and/or displacement of the        substrate material in the region of a contact point 32.    -   FIG. 2 shows in a sectional representation, which corresponds        roughly to the course of the line of intersection II-II        indicated in FIG. 1, the embedded arrangement of the wire        conductor 20 in the substrate 21. The substrate represented here        is a PVC sheet, whereby for the purpose of embedding the wire        conductor 20 the wire conductor is subjected via the wiring        device 22 to, for example, an ultrasonic power output of 50 W        and an ultrasonic frequency of 40 kHz. The contact force with        which the wire-guide nozzle 30 is caused to abut the substrate        surface 27 may, in the case of the aforementioned substrate        material, lie in the range between 100 and 500 N. As is evident        from the representation according to FIG. 2, in a test which was        carried out by adjusting the aforementioned parameters an        embedding of the wire conductor 20 into the substrate 21 was        obtained substantially by virtue of a compression of the        substrate material in a compression region 33 of the substrate        material which here is crescent-shaped.    -   FIG. 3 shows the wiring device 22 in an individual        representation with an ultrasonic generator 34 which is arranged        coaxially with respect to the wire guide 23 and is rigidly        connected to the latter in a connecting region 35. Overall the        wiring device 22 represented in FIG. 3 is of rotationally        symmetrical construction. The wire guide 23 comprises a central        longitudinal bore 36 which in the region of the wire-guide        nozzle 30 merges with a wire capillary 37 which in comparison        with the longitudinal bore 36 has a narrowed diameter that is        matched to the diameter of the wire conductor 20. The        wire-guidance capillary 37 serves primarily to be able to align        the wire conductor exactly in the wiring plane 28 (FIG. 1).    -   Although not represented in any detail in FIG. 3, the wire guide        23 may be equipped with a wire-severing instrument and a        wire-advancing instrument

Further attention is directed in the 089 patent to the following figuresand descriptions. Generally, FIGS. 4-7 show card modules and coilsformed by the tool. More particularly,

-   -   FIG. 4 shows a wire conductor 20 which, for the purpose of        forming a coil 41 which in this case takes the form of a        high-frequency coil, is wired on a substrate 42. The coil 41        here has a substantially rectangular configuration with an        initial coil region 43 and a final coil region 44 which are        guided away via a window-shaped substrate recess 45. In this        case the initial coil region 43 and the final coil region 44 are        in parallel alignment with a main coil strand 46 which they        accept between them in the region of the substrate recess 45. In        the course of the ultrasonic wiring of the wire conductor 20        already elucidated in principle with reference to FIG. 1 the        ultrasonic loading of the wire conductor 20 is interrupted while        the latter is being guided away via the substrate recess in the        course of the wiring operation, in order on the one hand to        ensure no impairment of the alignment of the wire conductor 20        in an unrestrained region 47 between the recess edges 48, 49        located opposite one another and on the other hand in order to        rule out stressing of the connection between the wire conductor        20 and the substrate 42 in the region of the recess edges 48, 49        by tensile stresses on the wire conductor 20 as a consequence of        ultrasonic loading.    -   FIG. 5 shows, in a configuration that is modified in comparison        with FIG. 4, a coil 50 with an initial coil region 51 and a        final coil region 52 which are guided, angled in relation to a        main coil strand 53, into an interior region of the coil 50. The        coil 50 is arranged on a substrate 55 which comprises a        substrate recess 56 in the interior region 53 of the coil 50. In        order to be able to guide away both the initial coil region 51        and the final coil region 52 via the substrate recess 56, in the        case of the configuration represented in FIG. 5 the final coil        region 52 has to be guided away beforehand in a crossing region        57 via the main coil strand 44. In order in this case to prevent        damage to or a partial stripping of the wire conductor 20,        similarly as in the region of the substrate recess 56 the        ultrasonic loading of the wire conductor 20 is interrupted in        the crossing region 57. Furthermore, the wire guide 23 is        slightly raised in the crossing region 57.    -   FIG. 6 shows, in a view of the substrate 55 corresponding to the        course of the line of intersection VI-VI in FIG. 5, the        placement of a chip unit 58 in the substrate recess 56, wherein        terminal areas 59 of the chip unit 58 are caused to abut the        initial coil region 51 and the final coil region 52.    -   FIG. 7 shows the subsequent connection of the terminal areas 59        of the chip unit 58 to the initial coil region 51 and to the        final coil region 52 by means of a thermode 60 which under the        influence of pressure and temperature creates a connection by        material closure between the wire conductor 20 and the terminal        areas 59, as an overall result of which a card module 64 is        formed.    -   In the case of the chip unit 58 represented in FIGS. 6 and 7 it        may also be a question, as in all other remaining cases where        mention is made of a chip unit, either of an individual chip or        of a chip module which, for instance, comprises a chip which is        contacted on a chip substrate or even a plurality of chips.        Furthermore, the connection represented in FIGS. 6 and 7 between        the coil 50 and the terminal areas 59 is not restricted to the        connection to one chip but applies generally to the connection        of electronic components comprising terminal areas 59 to the        coil 50. In this case it may be also a question, for example, of        capacitors.    -   Furthermore, it becomes clear from FIGS. 6 and 7 that the        substrate recess 56 is so dimensioned that it substantially        accepts the chip unit 58. With a view to simplifying the        alignment of the terminal areas 59 of the chip unit 58 in the        course of the placement of the chip unit 58 preceding the actual        contacting, the chip unit 58 may be equipped on its contact side        61 comprising the terminal areas 59 with an alignment aid 62        which here is constructed in the manner of a bridge. The        alignment aid 62 is dimensioned so as to correspond to the        spacing which the initial coil region 51 and the final coil        region 52 have from one another in the region of the substrate        recess 56 (FIG. 5).

Further attention is directed in the 089 patent to the following figureand description. Generally, FIG. 12 shows a modified wiring device. Moreparticularly,

-   -   FIG. 12 shows, in a modification of the wiring device 22        represented in FIG. 3, a wiring device 91 which, like the wiring        device 22 comprises an ultrasonic generator 34. As distinct from        the wiring device 22, there is no wire guide fastened to the        connection region 35 of the ultrasonic generator 34 but rather a        vibrating punch 92 which, as represented in FIG. 12, serves to        subject the wire conductor 20 which is guided between a profiled        end 93 and the surface of the substrate 21 to the action of        mechanical vibrations extending in the longitudinal direction of        the vibrating punch 92 and induced by ultrasound. In order in        this case to enable reliable guidance of the wire conductor 20,        the profiled end 93 is provided with a concave recess which is        not represented in FIG. 12 in any detail and which enables        partial encompassing of the wire conductor 20.    -   As distinct from the wiring device 22 represented in FIG. 3, on        the wiring device 91 a wire guide 94 is provided which, in the        case of the embodiment example represented here, is formed from        a guidance tube 95 arranged laterally on the ultrasonic        generator 34 with an elbow nozzle 96 which is formed in the        direction of the profiled end 93 and which enables lateral        supply, here directed obliquely downwards, of the wire conductor        20 in the direction of the profiled end 93. Hence, as        represented in FIG. 12, the wire conductor 20 can be guided        between the profiled end 93 of the vibrating punch 92 and the        surface of the substrate 21 in order to enable the previously        described connection to, or alternatively wiring on, or in, the        surface of the substrate 21.    -   Departing from the representation in FIG. 12, it is also        possible to provide the wire guide on the wiring device 91,        decoupled from the ultrasonic generator 34, in order where        necessary to enable vibration-free supply of the wire conductor.    -   In the case of the embodiment example represented in FIG. 12 the        wiring device comprises a wire coil 99 which is capable of        rotating about a winding axis 98 arranged transverse to the        punch axis 97 and which serves to supply the wire conductor 20        into the wire guide 95.    -   In order to enable arbitrary wiring of the wire conductor 20 on        the surface of the substrate 21, the wiring device 91 comprises,        coaxially with respect to the punch axis 97, a pivotal axis 100.

Further attention is directed in the 089 patent to the following figureand description. Generally, FIG. 13 show a chip card with a transponderunit formed from a wire coil and a chip unit. FIGS. 14 and 15 are moredetailed views. More particularly,

-   -   FIG. 13 shows a chip-card inlet (sic, “inlet” is the German word        for “inlay”) 110 which, with a view to the manufacture of a chip        card by way of end product which is not represented in any        detail here, is provided with bilateral surface layers which as        a rule are applied onto the chip-card inlet in the form of        laminated layers covering the surface.    -   The chip-card inlet 110 consists here of a coil substrate 111        formed from plastic material, onto which a wire coil 112 is        applied with the aid of wire-laying technology. To this end a        wire conductor 113 is wired on the surface of the coil substrate        111 by means of a wiring instrument which is not represented in        any detail in FIG. 13 and is partially embedded into the coil        substrate 111 by ultrasonic loading, as can be gathered from        FIG. 14.    -   As is evident furthermore from the representation according to        FIG. 13, in the coil substrate 111 a recess 114 is provided        which serves to accept a chip unit constituted here by an        individual chip 115. The chip unit may, as in the present case,        be constituted merely by the chip 115. However, it is further        possible for the chip unit to be formed from a so-called “chip        module” which accepts one or even several cased chips.    -   As is further evident from FIG. 13, the wire conductor 113 which        is wired for the purpose of forming the wire coil 112 on the        coil substrate 111 is contacted with wire ends 116, 117 on an        assigned terminal area 118 and 119, respectively, of the chip        115.    -   A process for implementing the contacting of the wire ends 116,        117 with the terminal areas 118, 119 of the chip 115 will be        elucidated in more detail below with reference to FIG. 14. The        process represented in detail in FIG. 14 is effected in two        successive phases, which here for the purpose of differentiation        are denoted by I and II. In the phase designated by I the wire        end 116 illustrated here is fixed on the coil substrate 111,        whereby simultaneously as a consequence of the aforementioned        wiring process for applying the wire conductor 113 onto the        surface of the coil substrate 111 the wire conductor 113 is        guided away via the chip 115 that is received in the recess 114.        With a view to implementing the process represented in FIG. 14,        the coil substrate 111 is arranged on a table 120 together with        the chip 115 received in the recess 114.    -   By way of wiring instrument, in the case of the process example        represented in FIG. 14 use is made of an ultrasonic instrument        121 which with a vibrating punch 122 embeds the wire conductor        113 which is continuously guided out of a wire guide 123 into        the surface of the coil substrate 111 and thereby simultaneously        executes a horizontal movement 124 on the surface of the coil        substrate 111. This application of the wire conductor 113 on the        surface of the coil substrate 111, which is described by the        term wirings, is firstly effected in the region designated by Ia        to the left of the recess 114, subsequently the wire conductor        113 is guided away with the wire guide 123 via the chip 115        which is arranged in the recess 114, in order finally to        continue with the fixation of the wire conductor 113 on the        right-hand side of the recess 114 in the region headed by Ib by        means of ultrasonic loading of the wire conductor via the        vibrating punch 122. Although when use is made of the ultrasonic        instrument 121 described above for wiring the wire conductor 113        on the coil substrate 111 a fixation of said wire conductor        arises extending substantially over the entire length of the        wire conductor 113 on the coil substrate 111, in order to        realise the principle of the process it is sufficient if a        fixation of the wire conductor 113 on the coil substrate 111 is        effected merely at two points to the left and right of the        recess 114, in order to achieve the linear alignment of the wire        conductor 113 represented in FIG. 14 via the terminal areas 118,        119 of the chip 115.    -   After the wire conductor 113 is located in the position spanning        the assigned terminal area 118 of the chip 115, in the phase        denoted by II the connection of the wire conductor 113 to the        terminal area 118 is effected. To this end use is made, in the        process example represented in FIG. 14, of another ultrasonic        instrument 125 which, as is evident in particular from FIG. 15,        comprises a profiled end 126 pertaining to a vibrating punch 127        and provided with a concave recess.    -   The process described above with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15        also offers the possibility, by appropriate choice of the points        of fixation of the wire conductor on the substrate, of guiding        the wire conductor away diagonally via the terminal areas, in        order to increase the overlap between the wire conductor and the        terminal areas. Also, several chips or other elements arranged        in series on, or in, a substrate can be connected by means of        the wire conductor in the manner represented in FIG. 14.    -   Furthermore, FIG. 15 shows clearly that, in contrast with the        vibrational loading 128 induced by ultrasound which is effected        in the longitudinal direction of the vibrating punch 122 of the        ultrasonic instrument 121, the vibrational loading 129 of the        vibrating punch 127 induced by ultrasound is effected transverse        to the longitudinal direction of the wire conductor 113 and        parallel to the surface of the coil substrate 111. On this        vibrational loading 128 a slight contact pressure 130 is        superimposed, so that the wire conductor 113 which is received        in guided manner in the profiled end 126 of the vibrating punch        127 is moved back and forth in oscillating manner under pressure        in the region of the terminal area 118 above the latter. On the        one hand this results in any oxide skins that may be present on        the terminal area 118 being ripped open and eroded, on the other        hand a welding subsequently results, given appropriately high or        increased contact pressure 130, of the wire conductor 113, which        here is formed from copper, to the aluminium terminal area 118.        In case the wire conductor 113 is provided with an external        insulation the latter can also be removed by the oscillating        movement back and forth in the region of the terminal area 118,        so that subsequently the metallic connection previously        described between the wire conductor, which immediately        beforehand is still protected against oxidation by the        insulation, and the terminal area becomes possible.    -   In the coil substrate 111 represented in FIGS. 14 and 15 the        recess 114 is arranged so as to be larger than the corresponding        dimensions of the chip 15, so that a circumferential gap 130        results between the chip 115 and the edges of the recess 114. By        this means a virtually “floating acceptance” of the chip 115 in        the recess 114 is possible, whereby, although said chip is        substantially defined in its location relative to the coil        substrate 111, it is able to execute minor relative movements.        This results in the advantage that, by virtue of the laminating        operation described in the introduction for application of the        bilateral surface layers onto the coil substrate 111, the chip        can at least partially avoid the pressure loads associated with        the laminating operation and consequently the risk of damage to        the chip in the course of the laminating operation is        significantly reduced.    -   In order also in the case of the “floating acceptance” of the        chip in the recess 114 described above to be able to carry out        an exact positioning of the wire conductor 113 on the terminal        area 118, the wire conductor 113 can be tracked via a        corresponding transverse-movement axis 131 of the ultrasonic        instrument 125.    -   Although with reference to the process example represented in        FIGS. 14 and 15 two different ultrasonic instruments 121 and 125        were mentioned in the foregoing description, there is also the        possibility, given appropriate design of the ultrasonic        instrument 121, of making use of the latter both for the wiring        and/or fixation of the wire conductor on the surface of the coil        substrate 111 and for the connection of the wire conductor 113        to the respectively assigned terminal area 118 or 119.

Further attention is directed in the 089 patent to the following figureand description. Generally, FIGS. 16 and 17 show an alternate procedurefor application and contacting of the chip unit. More particularly,

-   -   A way of proceeding that is slightly varied in comparison with        FIGS. 14 and 15 is represented in FIGS. 16 and 17, wherein only        after fixation of the wire conductor 113 on the surface of the        coil substrate 111 on both sides of the recess 114 is a chip 132        introduced into said recess. In order simultaneously with the        introduction of the chip 132 into the recess 114 to enable a        positioning that is suitable for the subsequent contacting of        the wire conductor 113 with an assigned terminal area 133 of the        chip 132, the latter is equipped on its contact side 134 with        bridge-type alignment aids 135, in each instance arranged        adjacent to a terminal area 133, which provide for correct        relative positioning via guide bevels 136.    -   FIG. 17 shows, in addition, a thermode instrument 137 which can        be employed as an alternative to the ultrasonic instrument 125        by way of a connecting instrument which enables a connection of        the wire conductor under pressure and temperature loading to the        assigned terminal area 133. With both of the connection        processes represented in FIGS. 14, 15 and 17 there is, in        principle, the possibility of establishing the connection        between the wire conductor and the terminal areas by a        superimposition of ultrasonic loading and temperature loading,        for example by means of a heat-able ultrasonic instrument.

Further attention is directed in the 089 patent to the following figureand description. Generally, FIG. 20 shows an alternative to FIG. 13.More particularly,

-   -   FIG. 20 finally shows, in a variant of the representation        according to FIG. 13, the possibility of applying the process        described above also for the direct contacting of the wire        conductor 113 with assigned terminal areas 118 and 119 of the        chip 115 if the chip 115 is not arranged in a recess but rather        on the surface of a substrate 143. In the case of the substrate        143 represented in FIG. 20 it may be a question, for example, of        a paper substrate or of any other substrate. Conforming with the        process elucidated with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15, here too        on both sides of an acceptance region or arrangement region 144        for the chip 115 a fixation is provided of the wire conductor        113 into the surface regions of the substrate 143, here        designated in simplified manner by 1 a and 1 b.

The wire embedding technology as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,698,089and European Patent EP 0 880 754 B1 is the process used to embedinsulated copper wire into a substrate, to form an antenna and tointerconnect the wire ends to a high frequency RFID chip.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,809,633, incorporated by reference in its entiretyherein, discloses method for producing a smart card module forcontactless smart cards. A method for producing a smart card moduleincludes bonding one end of a thin wire onto a first contact zone of asemiconductor chip. The wire is guided in a plurality of turns formingan antenna coil. The wire is bonded onto a second contact area of thesemiconductor chip. The wire turns of the antenna coil and thesemiconductor chip are placed on a carrier body. More particularly, amethod for producing a smart card module, comprises bonding one end of athin wire onto a first contact zone of a semiconductor chip; guiding thewire in a plurality of turns forming an antenna coil; bonding the wireonto a second contact area of the semiconductor chip; and placing thewire turns of the antenna coil and the semiconductor chip on a carrierbody. The guiding step may be performed with a bonding head. Thesemiconductor chip may be placed in a recess in the carrier body andsuspending the semiconductor chip from bonds at the ends of the wire,while carrying out the step of placing the wire turns of the antennacoil and the semiconductor chip on the carrier body.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,626,364, incorporated by reference in its entiretyherein, discloses a high speed system for embedding wire antennas in anarray of smart cards. An apparatus for embedding an electrical wireantenna in a non-electrically conductive substrate so as to communicatewith an electronic chip mounted on the substrate comprises: a source ofantenna wire; an ultrasonic actuator to receive a run of the antennawire from said source thereof, said ultrasonic actuator having a tipthat is adapted to oscillate at an ultrasonic frequency to melt thenon-conductive substrate so that said run of antenna wire can beinstalled there within; and an actuator positioning assembly coupled tosaid ultrasonic actuator for causing said actuator to move towards andaway from the non-conductive substrate by which to enable the tip ofsaid ultrasonic actuator to melt the substrate. The ultrasonic actuatoris connected to receive a supply of ultrasonic energy by which to causethe tip thereof to oscillate at said ultrasonic frequency so as to meltthe non-conductive substrate whereby said run of antenna wire can beinstalled there within. The tip of said ultrasonic actuator includes awire feed channel extending there through, said run of antenna wirebeing fed from said source thereof through said wire feed channel to beinstalled within the non-conductive substrate when the non-conductivesubstrate is ultrasonically melted by said tip. The tip of saidultrasonic actuator has a concave end for ultrasonically melting thenon-conductive substrate, said wire feed channel extending through saidtip to said concave end thereof.

US Patent Publication 2004/0155114, incorporated by reference in itsentirety herein, discloses a method for producing a contactless chipcard and chip card produced according to said method. The inventionrelates to a method for producing a transponder, especially acontactless chip card comprising at least one electronic component (chipmodule) and at least one antenna; the at least one electronic chipcomponent being disposed on a non-conducting substrate that serves as asupport for the component. The at least one antenna is also disposed ona non-conducting substrate, the at least one electronic component beingapplied to a first substrate and the antenna on a second substrate. Theentire circuit is then produced by joining the individual substrates sothat they are correctly positioned relative to each other. Thecomponents are contacted once the different substrates have been joinedby means of auxiliary materials such as solder or glue, or withoutauxiliary materials by micro-welding. The non-conducting substrates forma base card body.

German Patent Publication DE 196 16 424 A1, incorporated by reference inits entirety herein, discloses connecting wire ends of an antenna toball contacts a chip. The embedded wire in the form of an antenna wireis embedded into the plastic film in such a way that the terminal endsare drawn over the ball contacts of the chip. The wires are slightlystretched over the chip. Particularly suitable as embedded wires aresilver-plated copper wires that are welded to the gold in the ballcontacts by means of thermo-compression or glued using silver conductorpaste.

German Patent Publication DE 20 2005 016382, incorporated by referencein its entirety herein, discloses wire embedding mechanism for producingan antenna. Wire embedding mechanism to produce transponders with atleast one antenna on a surface (1 a) of a substrate (1) at a minimumwith an ultrasonic sonotrode (13, 18) with an integrated wire guidefacility (14) to feed in an antenna wire (15) onto the surface (1 a) ofthe substrate (1) and a heating apparatus (19) to connect the antennawire (15) with the surface (1 a) of the substrate (1), characterized bythe arrangement that between the ultrasonic sonotrode (18) and theadjoining heating apparatus (19) a lockable clamp element (20) definesthe alignment of the free ends (15 c) of the antenna wire (15) withrespect to the heating apparatus (19). The described wire embeddingmechanism uses a capillary (fine bore) to feed the antenna wire throughthe ultrasonic sonotrode and to embed the wire into the substrate. Theprocess of producing a transponder on a substrate is as follows: In thefirst step the wire is connected to the first terminal area by means ofthermal compression bonding, in the second step, the wire is embeddedinto the substrate to form an antenna and in the third step the wire isconnected to the second terminal area by means of thermal compressionbonding.

International Patent Application PCT/DE2005/001932, incorporated byreference in its entirety herein, discloses in claim 1 a device forembedding wires for a transponder unit on substrates (6), having anultrasonic horn (12; 119) for embedding the wire (4), and having anultrasonic converter (10; 120) for application of ultrasound to theultrasonic horn, characterized in that the wire (4) can be suppliedaxially to the embedding device (2; 118). The embedding device as inclaim 1, wherein a passage channel (14, 15, 44, 54) is provided forguidance of the wire (4) in the embedding device (2; 118), and passescoaxially through it. The embedding device as cited in claims 1 to 12,wherein ultrasound is introduced into the wire (4) in the horizontaldirection.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,310,778 discloses IC board module for producing an ICboard and process for producing an IC board. An IC card module (20) forproducing an IC card (118) having at least one coil (46) and at leastone chip (23) for the formation of a transponder unit, with the chip andthe coil being connected together by way of a module carrier (21) whichrenders possible not only an electrically conductive connection betweenthe chip and the coil, but also an electrically conductive connectionwith an external contact face (38) of the module carrier and the chip,wherein the IC card module (20) has a retaining device (41) which is ata distance from the external contact face (38) by an offset R andprojects laterally beyond the external contact face, and also a methodfor producing an IC card with use of such an IC card module.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,288,443 discloses chip module and manufacture of same. Achip module (37) includes a substrate (12) and at least one chip (38)arranged on the substrate, wherein the chip 5 (11) is contacted via itsterminal surfaces onto connecting leads (14, 15) of the substrate (12)and has a thickness d which is reduced compared to its originalthickness D as a result of a removal of material on its rear side (39).

U.S. Pat. No. 6,233,818 discloses method and device for bonding a wireconductor. Process and device for the contacting of a wire conductor(113) in the course of the manufacture of a transponder unit arranged ona substrate (111) and comprising a wire coil (112) and a chip unit(115), wherein in a first phase the wire conductor (113) is guided awayvia the terminal area (118, 119) or a region accepting the terminal areaand is fixed on the substrate (111) relative to the terminal area (118,119) or the region assigned to the terminal area, and in a second phasethe connection of the wire conductor (113) to the terminal area(118,119) is effected by means of a connecting instrument (125). Aprocess for the contacting of a wire conductor in the course of themanufacture of a transponder unit arranged on a coil substrate andincluding a wire coil with wire windings for forming the wire coil on asurface plane of the substrate and a chip unit having a terminal area,the process comprises the steps of in a first phase guiding the wireconductor over and away from a terminal area or a region accepting theterminal area and fixing the wire conductor on the substrate relative tothe terminal area or the region assigned to the terminal area; and in asecond phase effecting a connection of the wire conductor to theterminal area with a connecting instrument and the wire conductor isconnected while being fixed on the coil substrate and extending inparallel to the surface plane of the windings of the wire coil. Anultrasonic instrument is used both as the connecting instrument for thepurpose of connecting the wire conductor to the terminal area and forthe purpose of arranging the wire coil on the substrate.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,381 discloses contact or contactless chip card withbrace. A chip card for contact access and contactless access to a chiparranged in a chip module, wherein the chip module is arranged in arecess (59) of a card body (49) such that outer contact surfaces (51) ofthe chip module are arranged at the surface (60) of the card body (49)and inner contact surfaces (53) of the chip module are connected toconductor ends (55, 56) of a coil (57) arranged in the card body to forma transponder unit, where the coil has the form of a wire coil (57) andthe depth (t) of the recess (59) which accommodates the chip module issuch that wire ends (55, 56) arranged in the region of the recess (59)have a contact flattening (63) formed by the machining process for theformation of the recess (59).

U.S. Pat. No. 6,088,230 discloses procedure for producing a chipmounting board and chip-mounting board thus produced. Procedure forproducing a transponder unit (55) provided with at least one chip (16)and one coil (18), and in particular a chip card/chip-mounting board(17) wherein the chip and the coil are mounted on one common substrate(15) and the coil is formed by installing a coil wire (21) andconnecting the coil-wire ends (19, 23) to the contact surfaces (20, 24)of the chip on the substrate. The chip and the coil are mounted on onecommon substrate and the coil is formed by installing a coil wire andconnecting the coil-wire ends to the contact surfaces of the chip on thesubstrate. As a first step prior to the installation of the coil wire,one coil-wire end is connected to a first contact surface of the chip,the coil wire is then installed to form the coil, whereupon the leadingend of the coil wire is connected to a second contact surface of thechip, while in the process of the coil-wire installation the coil wire(21) is bonded to the substrate at least in some locations.

Glossary & Definitions

Unless otherwise noted, or as may be evident from the context of theirusage, any terms, abbreviations, acronyms or scientific symbols andnotations used herein are to be given their ordinary meaning in thetechnical discipline to which the disclosure most nearly pertains. Thefollowing terms, abbreviations and acronyms may be used throughout thedescriptions presented herein and should generally be given thefollowing meaning unless contradicted or elaborated upon by otherdescriptions set forth herein. Some of the terms set forth below may beregistered trademarks(®).

-   chip As used herein, the word “chip” can encompass many    configurations of a silicon die or a packaged chip. The silicon die    for example can have metalized bumps to facilitate the direct    connection of the wire ends of an antenna to form a transponder or    tag device. A package chip can include various structures such as a    tape automated bonding module, a chip module, a flip chip module, a    lead frame, a chip carrier, a strap, an interposer or any form of    packaging to facilitate transponder manufacturing.-   inlay An inlay substrate typically has a plurality, such as array of    transponder sites on a substrate which matches the position of the    data or graphics on a printed sheet or holder/cover page of a smart    card or electronic passport respectively.    -   A secure inlay is similar to a conventional inlay but with        additional features such as an additional RFID chip on the        transponder site storing information about the production        processes in the value chain as well as having personalization        features integrated into the inlay such as a hologram, an        anti-skimming material or security codes embedded into the        inlay.-   ISO 7810 Defines the size and shape of cards. All credit cards and    debit cards, and most ID are the same shape and size, as specified    by the ISO 7810 standard. Smart cards follow specifications set out    in ISO 7816, and contactless smart cards follow the ISO 14443    specification.-   ISO 7816 Regarding smart card, ISO7816 defines specification of    contact interface IC chip and IC card.-   ISO 10536 Defines the operation of close coupling for contactless    cards-   ISO 14443 ISO 14443 RFID cards; contactless proximity cards    operating at 13.56 MHz in up to 5 inches distance. ISO 14443 defines    the contactless interface smart card technical specification.-   ISO 15693 ISO standard for contactless integrated circuits, such as    used in RF-ID tags. ISO 15693 RFID cards; contactless vicinity cards    operating at 13.56 MHz with up to 20 inches of read range. (ISO    15693 is typically not used for financial transactions because of    its relatively long range as compared with ISO 14443.)-   RFID Short for “Radio Frequency Identification”. An RFID device    interacts, typically at a limited distance, with a “reader”, and may    be either “passive” (powered by the reader) or “active” (having its    own power source, such as a battery).-   tag As used herein, “tag” refers to a transponder or transponder    site on an inlay . . . and may be distinguished from “inlay” . . .-   transponder As used herein, a transponder is an RFID chip (either    passive or active) connected to an antenna.

Long range classification includes RFID systems that operate 866-868 MHz(EU), 915 (US) 2.5 GHz and 5.8 GHz.

UHF Tags

Passive UHF RFID systems typically communicate using frequencies at 866MHz and 915 MHz with a maximum read range of 10 meters (approximately 30feet) under ideal conditions. However, this does not preclude UHF fromnear field and near contact applications as UHF systems can be easilytailored to meet lower range requirements. This can be accomplished byreducing power at the reader, reducing the size of the reader antenna,and/or reducing the size of the tag antenna. Ideally, the antenna shouldhave a physical length approximately one-half wavelength of the chip'soperating frequency.

By varying the impedance of the antenna (i.e. adding additionalconductor portions adjacent to the elements of the antenna), theresonant frequency may be adjusted to compensate for operatingenvironment conditions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION (SUMMARY) OF THE INVENTION

It is a general object of an embodiment of the invention to provide animproved, secure inlay.

It is a general object of an embodiment of the invention to provideimproved techniques for fabricating inlays with transponders.

It is a general object of an embodiment of the invention to provideimproved techniques for mounting an antenna wire to an inlay substrate,including embedding the wire in a surface of the substrate andadhesively placing the wire on the surface of the substrate. When theterm “embedding” is used herein, it should be taken to includeadhesively placing, if appropriate in the context (such as whendescribing mounting a self-bonding wire)—in other words, “embedding” maysometimes be used to mean “mounting” (which includes both “embedding”and “adhesively placing”).

It is a general object of an embodiment of the invention to provideimproved techniques for connecting an embedded wire to a chip module onan inlay.

Conventionally (in the prior art), an insulated wire conductor is bondedto the terminal area(s) of a chip using thermal compression bonding.This is a welding process in which the insulated wire conductor isbonded to the terminal area(s) of a chip by passing a current through athermode which holds the wire conductor under force against the terminalarea of the chip. The first impulse of current removes the insulation,while the second impulse results in the diffusion of the wire conductorwith the terminal area of the chip.

According to an embodiment of the invention, generally, the bonding ofan insulated wire to the terminal area of a chip is significantlyimproved upon, resulting in superior repetitive results when performinga pull test of the bonded wire to the terminal area of a chip at 90degrees.

In the production of inlays, a problem is that the chip resides on asynthetic material which is not a well defined surface for bonding.Another problem is that the thickness of the insulation of the wireconductor depends on the grade of wire. To obtain a reasonabledeformation of the wire conductor during the bonding process, a forcebetween 1.8 and 2.5 Newton is required. However, the insulation betweenthe wire conductor and the terminal area of the chip may not haveevaporated during the thermal compression bonding process, resulting inan unreliable interconnection.

According to an embodiment of the invention, this quality issue isresolved by removing the insulation before bonding, by passing the wireconductor through a laser tunnel, before the wire conductor is directedto the ultrasonic wire guide tool. The laser tunnel can be driven byglass fiber connected to a multiplexing diode laser. The inner wall ofthe tunnel can be coated with a reflective material.

The position of the insulation removal can be defined and the length ofwire conductor which passes from the laser tunnel to the ultrasonic wireguide tool can be measured. By using an un-insulated wire at the bondposition the force required for the diffusion process can be reduced,and better controlled.

According to an embodiment of the invention, a method of forming aninlay comprising an antenna wire having two end portions and a site fora transponder chip, the transponder chip comprising two terminals,comprises: mounting the antenna wire to a surface of the substrate; andleaving the end portions of the antenna wire free-standing, as loopsadjacent terminal areas of a site on the substrate for the transponderchip. Mounting the antenna wire may comprise embedding the wire in oradhesively placing the antenna wire on the surface of the substrate, andmay comprise the application of ultrasonic energy the wire conductor.

The free-standing loops may be disposed in a plane which issubstantially perpendicular to the surface of the substrate. Or, thefree-standing loops may span slots adjacent to the site for thetransponder chip.

The free-standing loops are repositioned to be substantially directlyover the terminals of the transponder chip, in preparation forinterconnection of the loops to the terminals of the transponder chip,then are bonded to the terminals. If a coated antenna wire is used, thecoating is removed from at least a portion of the loops prior tobonding, either during mounting the antenna wire or after mounting theantenna wire.

According to another embodiment of the invention, a method of mountingan antenna wire to an inlay substrate and preparing end portions of theantenna wire for bonding to terminals of a transponder chip, comprises:providing an embedding tool; providing a wire guide tool, separate fromthe embedding tool for feeding wire to under an end of the embeddingtool; at a point “a” on the surface of the substrate, commencingmounting the antenna by lowering the embedding tool down onto thesurface of the substrate to urge the wire into the substrate; moving theembedding tool in a plane (x-y) parallel to the surface of the substratea short distance sufficient to ensure embedding, to a point “b”, andthen stopping embedding and raising up the embedding tool; forming afirst free-standing loop in the wire, between point “b” and a point “c”,adjacent a first terminal area of the transponder chip; lowering theembedding tool and resuming embedding from the point “c” through points“d” and “e”, to a point “f”; at the point “f”, stopping embedding andraising up the embedding tool; forming a second free-standing loop inthe wire, between the point “f” and a point “g”, adjacent a secondterminal area of the transponder chip; and moving the embedding tool inthe plane (x-y) parallel to the surface of the substrate a shortdistance sufficient to ensure embedding, to a point “h”, and thenstopping embedding and raising up the embedding tool. At the point “h”,the wire may be cut. After cutting the wire, the embedding tool may bemoved to another inlay location on the substrate to form anotherantenna.

According to another embodiment of the invention, apparatus for mountinga wire to an inlay substrate comprises: a sonotrode having an end formounting the wire; a rotary wire guide disposed adjacent the end of thesonotrode for feeding the wire o under the end of the sonotrode; and acutting mechanism disposed adjacent the rotary wire guide for severingthe wire. The mounting of the wire may comprise embedding the wire inthe surface of the substrate, or adhesively placing the wire on thesurface of the substrate. The wire may be a self-bonding wire.

According to another embodiment of the invention, a secure inlaycomprises: a substrate; a main antenna coil; a first chip connected tothe main antenna coil; and a second chip inductively coupled with itsown smaller coil to the main antenna coil. The first chip comprises apassive RFID chip storing information about a user or bearer. The secondchip comprises a passive RFID chip storing information pertaining to themanufacturing process, steps in the value chain from inlay to finalproduct, personalization and activation. The first chip may comprise acontactless chip which has a unique identification code or secret keywhich is masked by the silicon provider, programmed by the substratemanufacturer or downloaded in encrypted form from a central database.The second chip may comprise a digital signature which can be used toverify that an e-passport was issued by a legitimate authority, and thatit has not been altered.

A metallic, non-ferrous material may be disposed in a layer of thesubstrate for reducing coupling, in one direction. Microscopic metalfilings may be disposed in a layer of the substrate for personalizingthe inlay.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent in light of the following description thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will be made in detail to embodiments of the disclosure,examples of which may be illustrated in the accompanying drawing figures(FIGs). The figures are intended to be illustrative, not limiting.Although the invention is generally described in the context of theseembodiments, it should be understood that it is not intended to limitthe invention to these particular embodiments.

Certain elements in selected ones of the figures may be illustratednot-to-scale, for illustrative clarity. The cross-sectional views, ifany, presented herein may be in the form of “slices”, or “near-sighted”cross-sectional views, omitting certain background lines which wouldotherwise be visible in a true cross-sectional view, for illustrativeclarity. In some cases, hidden lines may be drawn as dashed lines (thisis conventional), but in other cases they may be drawn as solid lines.

If shading or cross-hatching is used, it is intended to be of use indistinguishing one element from another (such as a cross-hatched elementfrom a neighboring un-shaded element). It should be understood that itis not intended to limit the disclosure due to shading or cross-hatchingin the drawing figures.

Elements of the figures may (or may not) be numbered as follows. Themost significant digits (hundreds) of the reference number correspond tothe figure number. For example, elements of FIG. 1 are typicallynumbered in the range of 100-199, and elements of FIG. 2 are typicallynumbered in the range of 200-299. Similar elements throughout thefigures may be referred to by similar reference numerals. For example,the element 199 in FIG. 1 may be similar (and possibly identical) to theelement 299 in FIG. 2. Throughout the figures, each of a plurality ofelements 199 may be referred to individually as 199 a, 199 b, 199 c,etc. Such relationships, if any, between similar elements in the same ordifferent figures will become apparent throughout the specification,including, if applicable, in the claims and abstract.

FIG. 1 is a plan (top) view of an inlay substrate having two RFID chips(also referred to as “transponders”), according to an embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 2A is a perspective top view of an embodiment of a loopingtechnique, according to the invention.

FIG. 2B is a top plan view of a further step in the embodiment shown inFIG. 2A, according to the invention.

FIG. 2C is a perspective top view of another embodiment of a loopingtechnique, with the antenna wire passing over slots in the substrate,according to the invention.

FIG. 2D is a top plan view of a further step in the embodiment shown inFIG. 2C, according to the invention.

FIG. 3A is a side view of an embodiment of an embedding tool, accordingto the invention.

FIG. 3B is a more detailed view of the end of the embedding tool of FIG.3A.

FIG. 3C is a cross-sectional view taken on a line C-C through FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view of a substrate having a wire embeddedtherein, and an end of the wire formed as a free-standing loop (such asin FIG. 2A), according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4B is an end view taken on a line 4B-4B through FIG. 4A.

FIG. 4C is a top view of the substrate shown in FIG. 4A.

FIG. 4D is a schematic illustration of forming loops at ends of anantenna wire which is mounted to (embedded in or place on) a substrate,illustrating an embodiment of a method, according to the invention.

FIG. 4E is a schematic illustration of re-positioning the loops of FIG.4D over terminals of a transponder chip, according to the invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating describing steps associated with themethod of described with respect to FIG. 4D, according to the invention.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a wire, with an additional adhesivecoating, such as may be used in conjunction with the present invention.

FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional view of a portion of an embedding tool(such as shown in FIG. 3B), with means for removing insulation frominsulated wire during embedding, according to the invention.

FIG. 7B is a perspective view of a portion of an inlay having the wireends of an antenna pass over slots in the substrate (such as shown inFIG. 2C), with means for removing insulation from insulated wire afterembedding (and after positioning the wire over the slot), according tothe invention.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a multi-layer inlay, according to anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9A is a cross-sectional view of an inlay with a chip and a wirebeing manipulated (repositioned) over a terminal of a transponder chip,according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view of an inlay with a chip and a wirepassing over a slot (such as shown in FIG. 2C), being manipulated(repositioned) over a terminal of a transponder chip, according to anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a manufacturing flow, according to anembodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Various “embodiments” of the invention will be discussed. An embodimentis an example or implementation of one or more aspects of theinvention(s). Although various features of the invention may bedescribed in the context of a single embodiment, the features may alsobe provided separately or in any suitable combination. Conversely,although the invention may be described herein in the context ofseparate embodiments for clarity, the invention may also be implementedin a single embodiment.

It should be understood that the phraseology and terminology employedherein is not to be construed as limiting, and is for descriptivepurposes only.

The invention relates generally to secure inlays which may be single ormulti-layer substrates containing HF (high frequency) and/or UHF(ultra-high frequency) radio frequency identification (RFID,transponder) chips and, more particularly, to techniques for mounting(including embedding in or positioning on) an antenna wire to the inlaysubstrate, and preparing end portions of the antenna wire for connectingto the terminals areas of a chip (such as an RFID transponder chip) or achip module.

Various aspects, features, and embodiments of the invention aredisclosed, including the aforementioned secure inlay itself, tools forembedding antenna wire in an insulating substrate, single andmulti-layer substrates, anti-skimming techniques, techniques forpersonalizing an inlay, and others. These various aspects, features, andembodiments of the invention can often be implemented with one another,in various combinations.

The following description is generally presented in “sections”, asfollows:

-   Section 1 Secure Inlay Having A High Frequency (HF) Transponder And    An Ultra High Frequency (UHF) Transponder-   Section 2 Techniques For Connecting Ends of Antenna Wire to    Terminals of Transponder Chips or Chips Modules On An Inlay    Substrate-   Section 3 Method And Apparatus For Embedding Antenna Wire In An    Inlay Substrate-   Section 4 Additional Features, such as:    -   Insulated, Self-Adhering (Self-Bonding) wire    -   Insulation Removal    -   Anti-skimming    -   Tools For Repositioning Loops    -   Production Flow Through Stations

Nothing should be implied or inferred from the section headings, andvarious features of various embodiments of the invention may beinterspersed between various sections. Also, various features disclosedin various sections may be combined with various features found in thesame or other sections. The arrangement into sections is merely intendedas an organizational aid.

Section 1 Secure Inlay Having a High Frequency (HF) Transponder and anUltra High Frequency (UHF) Transponder

This embodiment of the invention comprises a secure inlay which can betracked from the start of the production process to the issuance of thecard, driver license, national ID, visa or passport to the user. Theinlay comprises two passive RFID chips, one contactless chip (firstchip) for storing inlay specific data such as information about thesecond RFID chip (such as serial number, encryption keys, etc.),manufacturers in the value chain, quality tracing data (digital images,process profiles, function tests, charge & batch numbers, productiondata, etc), privileges and cryptographic keys, and another contactlesssmart card microprocessor chip (second chip) that will hold pertinentinformation about the passport holder including a digital facial imageand a fingerprint template or iris scan. Even after issuance of thefinal product, the deployed readers and terminals will also check thedata residing on the first chip for authentication purposes. (It shouldbe understood that the second chip does not have to be a microprocessor,but it should have a memory capacity greater than 1 MB).

Generally, as used herein, “chip” is intended to mean RFID ortransponder chip. Also, where applicable, “chip” may refer to a die,chip module or carrier or “strap”.

Generally, as used herein, “secure” implies that the inlay employs a“contactless” technology, such as set forth in ISO 14443, which is welladapted to conducting personalized transactions such as financialtransactions, or identification, and necessarily operates over a shortrange. (As contrasted with “wireless”, which is more wide-range and muchless secure.)

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary configuration of a “secure” inlay 100comprising a substrate 102, two transponder chips 110 and 120, and asingle antenna 116 mounted to (embedded in or adhered to) the surface ofthe substrate 102. (Generally, prior art “non-secure” inlays only haveone chip, corresponding to either one of the chips 110 or 120.) Thesubstrate 102 may be a single or multi-layer substrate, and its topsurface is typically a plastic material. Both of the chips 110 and 120may be RFID transponders.

The substrate 116, and inlay substrates mentioned below (all of whichare generally designate “×16”) can be a multilayered substrate in whichthe chip(s) resides at a different level or layer as the antenna, suchas when the chip is in a cavity and supported by another layerunderneath the top layer. Or, the antenna and the chip can be on a“common substrate”, meaning that the antenna and chip both reside on thesurface of the substrate.

The antenna 116 comprises a wire in the form of a flat coil, having twoend portions 116 a and 116 b. The wire may be insulated (such as with anenamel coating), or non-insulated. The antenna 116 is connected by itsend portions 116 a, 116 b to respective terminals 112, 114 of the chip110. Various different physical configurations for the “main” antennacoil 116 are possible.

End portions 116 a and 116 b of the antenna wire are shown as being“looped”, which is discussed in detail hereinbelow, but looping the endsis not critical to the feature being discussed here, which is a dualchip secure inlay. For purposes of the dual chip secure inlay, the endsof the antenna 116 may be connected to the terminals 112, 114 of thechip 110 in any conventional manner.

Methods and tools for embedding an antenna wire in a substrate are wellknown, and are shown (for example) in U.S. Pat. No. 6,698,089 (“089”).

Techniques for connecting the ends of the antenna 116 to the terminalsof the chip 110 are discussed in greater detail hereinbelow. The antennawire may be an insulated wire, as discussed in greater detailhereinbelow.

The chip 120 is inductively coupled with its own (“on-chip”) smallercoil antenna 126 to the “main” antenna coil 116. The chip 120 has twoterminals 122, 124. The antenna 126 has two ends 126 a, 126 b connectedto the two terminals 122, 124, respectively. The antenna 126 may be adiscrete component added onto the chip 120. The antenna 126 for the chip120 can be wound, embedded, printed or etched.

The first chip (110) can be compliant to a standard (e.g. ISO 14443)different to that of the second chip (120), which is ISO 15693compliant. Alternatively, the second chip (110) can be ISO 14443compliant for short range transmission (proximity), but have the ISO15693 protocol in its flash memory for vicinity reading in themanufacturing process. The high frequency antenna (126) can be on thesilicon device “coil-on-chip”, etched on the substrate of the chipmodule or connected externally to the chip. The second chip (120) couldalso operate at ultra high frequency.

The second chip (120) can also share the antenna (116) with the firstchip, after the embedding of the antenna and interconnection of the wireends to the contactless smart card microprocessor chip module (firstchip). It is not necessary to have a large antenna like (116) connectedto the second chip (120) as this chip (120) with a small antenna (126)may be inductively coupled to the main antenna (116).

A suitable material for the inlay substrate is TESLIN, TYVEK, PC, PVC,PE, PET, PETE, Paper, C-FLEX, Paper or Cotton/Noil etc. in sheet formator endless roll (web) can be coated with adhesive film to protect thefirst chip and to support the process for manufacturing the inlay at thesecure printing office. The substrate can also have special markingssuch as luminous threads, water marks, microscopic filings and opticalpolymer memory for additional security. A typical thickness for thesubstrate for passport inlays can be between 360 and 750 microns.

-   PVC short for polyvinyl chloride, (IUPAC Polychloroethene). PVC is a    widely used thermoplastic polymer. It can be made softer and more    flexible by the addition of plasticizers, the most widely used being    phthalates.-   PET short for Polyethylene terephthalate (aka PET, PETE or the    obsolete PETP or PET-P). PET is a thermoplastic polymer resin of the    polyester family that produced by the chemical industry and is used    in synthetic fibers; beverage, food and other liquid containers;    thermoforming applications; and engineering resins often in    combination with glass fiber. It is one of the most important raw    materials used in man-made fibers.-   PETE see PET.-   Teslin™ Teslin is a synthetic printing media, manufactured by PPG    Industries. Teslin is a waterproof synthetic material that works    well with an Inkjet printer, Laser printer, or Thermal printer.    Teslin is also single-layer, uncoated film, and extremely strong. In    fact, the strength of the lamination peel of a Teslin sheet is 2-4    times stronger than other coated synthetic and coated papers. Teslin    comes in the sizes of 7 mil to 18 mil, though only sizes 10 mil and    14 mil are sized at 8.5″ by 11″, for printing with most consumer    printers. Also available are perforated versions of Teslin,    specifically, 2up, 6up, and 8up.-   Tyvek™ Tyvek is a brand of spunbonded olefin, a synthetic material    made of high-density polyethylene fibers; the name is a registered    trademark of the DuPont Company. The material is very strong; it is    difficult to tear but can easily be cut with scissors or any other    sharp object. Water vapor can pass through Tyvek, but not liquid    water, so the material lends itself to a variety of applications:    medical packaging, envelopes, car covers, air and water intrusion    barriers (housewrap) under house siding, labels, wristbands,    mycology, and graphics.

The substrate can be a multi-layer substrate.

The substrate (for example, a layer thereof) may be doped withmicroscopic metal filings (such as 10 mm long and 10 μm in diameter) forenhanced security (described in greater detail hereinbelow, with respectto FIG. 8A).

The substrate material does not need to be coated with an adhesive orthermoplastic substance however the coating can be used to facilitatethe wire mounting (embedding, placing) process.

The substrate (for example, a layer thereof) may also incorporate awoven mesh, such as coated fleece (a cotton material) to provideenhanced tensile strength.

The substrate may be prepared in a given format (such as in a sheetformat with 3×6=18 transponder sites per sheet) to suit the productionprocess of the secure card manufacturer or printing office, and everytransponder site in the format may have the second contactless chip 120embedded into the material at a predefined position.

The second contactless chip 120 may be provided with a uniqueidentification code or secret key which is masked by the siliconprovider, programmed by the substrate manufacturer or downloaded inencrypted form from a central database.

The second contactless chip 120 with digital signature can be used toverify that the e-passport was issued by a legitimate authority, andthat it had not been altered.

For privacy protection, a thin radio shield (anti-skimming material,such as a metal mesh) can be sandwiched as an additional layer betweentwo existing layers of the inlay (substrate), resulting in a capacitivegap between the transponder and the layer with the anti-skimmingmaterial. This means that the digital information in the chip(s) canonly be read from one direction. This is described in greater detailhereinbelow, with respect to FIG. 8B).

In an embodiment of the invention for electronic passports and nationalID documents, the two chips operating at different ISO standards can beused to prevent unauthorized reading of the data in the first chip bycausing collision of the communications, making the informationillegible. Only when the passport is read at close proximity by acertified OCR reader with a specific antenna, is it possible to accessthe data.

The technology provides total accountability of the process from “cradleto grave” and performs the function of a blind audit. In the production“zero balance” can be easily achieved as every inlay site has the secondcontactless chip with a unique ID code and storing data on thefunctional or non-functional smart card microprocessor.

In another embodiment of the invention for ID cards, the two RFID chipshave interrelated cryptographic algorithms and session keys (secret keys& card management infrastructure) which enhance security ininteroperable federal identity management systems. Also, the first RFIDchip can store dynamic privileges such as user's permissions, restrictedaccess and expiry data and the second RFID chip stores the personalcredentials.

The Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 201 is the mandatoryidentity management systems (IDMS) for access to federal facilities andsystems for all federal departments and agencies. It applies to allemployees and contractors of federal departments and agencies, requiringphysical access to federal facilities and logical access to federalsystems. The Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card holding aperson's credentials must meet the stringent requirements of the FIPS201 standard and to this end, the dual chip configuration (such as shownin FIG. 1) provides the solution for managing the “chain of trust”process.

In addition, the invention provides a mechanism to tract status, controlinventory, and protect blank PIV card stock and personalized card stockprior to activation. In short, the system is capable of creating anauditable trail.

Personalization machines, terminals and printers would be equipped withdual standard RFID readers with anti-collision capability, to ensuresecure and reliable identification from pre-issuance to issuance,post-issuance and to re-issuance or deactivation of the PIV card.

The substrate or inlay can also be doped with microscopic metal filingsfor enhanced security (personalization). Anti-skimming measures are alsodescribed to prevent unauthorized scanning of the data in the memory ofboth of the RFID chips (110, 120). See FIG. 8

A secure, dual-chip inlay is described hereinabove, comprising onepassive RFID chip (110) storing information about the user or bearer,while the other passive RFID chip (120) stores information pertaining tothe manufacturing process, steps in the value chain from inlay to finalproduct, personalization and activation.

The applications for such technology include electronic passports, I-94waiver visas, national identity cards, citizen cards, permanentresidence cards, personal identity verification cards, registeredtraveller cards, driving licenses, etc.

The chips can operate at 13.56 MHz (High Frequency, “HF”) and can becompliant with ISO 14443 and/or ISO 15693. Equally, one chip can operateat high frequency (“MHz”) and the other at ultra-high frequency (“UHF”).

Section 2 Techniques for Connecting Ends of Antenna Wire to Terminals ofTransponder Chips or Chips Modules on an Inlay Substrate

Forming Loops

Typically, in the prior art, the ends of an antenna (such as 116)mounted to the surface of an inlay are passed directly over theterminals (such as 112, 114) of the transponder chip (such as 110), andare thermal compression bonded thereto. Usually, this involves twoseparate tools. After embedding (using a “sonotrode”) the wire into thesubstrate over a short distance, the wire is passed over a firstterminal area, then embedded (such as in a flat coil pattern) to form anantenna, and then is passed over a second terminal area, and then isembedded into the substrate before cutting the wire. In a separatestation, the wire ends of the antenna residing over the terminal areasof the chip are interconnected using thermal compression bonding (usinga “thermode”). The wire is typically “insulated” (not bare at theterminal areas).

According to an embodiment of the invention, ends (such as 116 a, 116 b)of an antenna wire (such as 116) may first be formed as free-standing(in that they are not mounted to the substrate) “loops” adjacentterminals (such as 112, 114) of a transponder chip (such as 110). Thisis in preparation for bonding the loops (or a tip portion of the loops)to terminals of the transponder chip. The transponder chip may or maynot already be in place on the substrate. (If the transponder chip isnot already in place during loop formation, the loops are formedadjacent designated “terminal areas” whereat the terminals of thetransponder chip eventually will be.)

If the wire is an insulated wire, the insulation can be removed eitherduring the embedding process, or after the loops are formed.

Looping (as it is referred to herein) may be done using the same tool(hereinafter referred to as “embedding tool”) that is used to mount(embed or place) the antenna wire and form the coil pattern for theantenna.

Generally, after mounting the antenna and forming the loops, amanipulating tool may be used to reposition (which may involve gripping,grabbing and/or pushing) the loops to a position which is over (above)the terminals of the transponder chip (with the transponder chip inplace), then a bonding tool may used to bond/connect the repositionedloops to terminals of a transponder chip, using conventional bondingtechniques.

It is worthwhile noting (for background purposes) that a traditional“wire bonding loop” typically involves a bond wire beingthermocompression bonded to a first bond area such as a bond pad of adevice (such as an IC chip being mounted in a leadframe), then thebonding tool rises and moves over to a second bond area (such as aninner portion of a leadframe finger), bonds the wire to the second bondarea, and cuts the bond wire, leaving a freestanding arch (or bridge) ofwire extending between the two bond areas to which it is bonded.

As discussed in greater detail hereinbelow, the loops may be formedadjacent terminal areas for a transponder chip, either before or afterthe transponder chip is mounted to the substrate. And, the loops may bewhat is called “jump loops”, when they rise above the surface of thesubstrate in a manner similar to wire bonding loops (such as in a planeperpendicular to the surface of the substrate), or they may be what iscalled “planar loops” when they lie substantially in the plane of thesurface of the substrate spanning across slots which have been providedin the substrate adjacent the terminal areas of the transponder chip.After forming the antenna and the loops, and after the transponder chipis in place (which may occur either before or after the loops areformed), a separate tool is used to reposition the loops, and a separatetool is used to bond the repositioned loops to terminals of atransponder chip.

As used herein, forming a “loop”, or “looping” generally means that asan embedding tool is moving across (including on and/or above) thesurface of the substrate and playing out wire, wire that is beingembedded and forming a pattern in the substrate reaches a point wherethe embedding is stopped. That is generally what would happen at the endof a coil pattern. At the beginning of antenna formation, the wire canbe embedded for only a very short distance, then stop being embedded.

After stopping embedding, the embedding tool continues to move acrossthe surface of the substrate and the wire continues to play out of theembedding tool, forming a free-standing (not embedded) loop.

After the shape of the loop is formed, the embedding tool continues tomove across the surface of the substrate and the wire continues to playout (typically referred to as “wire feed”) of the embedding tool, thewire is again embedded, and if this is the end of a coil pattern, thewire is cut. If at the beginning of antenna coil formation, the embeddedtool continues to move across the surface of the substrate, changingdirection as may be required to form the pattern of the antenna coil,until reaching the end of the pattern, then stops embedding, forms asecond loop, embeds a short distance to secure what will be a free endof the wire, then cuts the wire, resulting in an antenna coil embeddedin a substrate and having two end portions formed as loops inpreparation for connecting to terminals of a device (transponder) on thesubstrate.

Since the “embedding” tool is used to “mount” the antenna wire on thesubstrate, including either embedding the wire into the surface of thesubstrate, as well as adhesively placing the wire on the surface of thesubstrate, it may be referred to hereinafter as a “mounting” tool.

Generally, when the embedding (mounting) tool is used to adhesivelyplace the wire on the surface of the substrate, the wire is a coatedwire. Although a coated wire can be bonded to a terminal of atransponder chip, it is preferable that the bond coat and insulationshould be removed prior to bonding the loops of the antenna to theterminals of the transponder chip.

Else, particular matter may remain after bonding. As discussed ingreater detail hereinbelow, coatings can be removed from the wire,particularly at the loops either while mounting (embedding orpositioning) the wire on the substrate, or after completion of mountingand loop formation.

The “origins” of the looping method described herein may be traced toU.S. Provisional Application 60/826,923 filed Sep. 26, 2006 by Finn(“S4”)which describes how the wire ends of an antenna may be formed inpreparation for interconnection with the terminal areas of an RFID chip.

In FIG. 1 of the S4 provisional, the wire is first embedded into anon-conducting substrate using an ultrasonic embedding horn near theterminal area (of the RFID chip) to create a tail position and it isnoted that it is not necessary to pass the wire over the terminal areaas illustrated, but rather the insulated wire can be embedded into thesubstrate close to the RFID chip and then a section of the wire may bebonded to the terminal area, in short, tailing bonding to the substrateand then wedge bonding to the terminal area.

In FIG. 2 of the S4 provisional, the insulation is removed inpreparation for wedge bonding and the removal of the wire insulationbefore connection (e.g. per laser) is performed in order to bond thewire ends (e.g. doped copper) directly to the aluminium pads of an RFIDchip or to enlarged pads on a silicon chip.

In FIG. 3 of the S4 provisional, a section of un-insulated wire is wedgebonded to one of the contact terminals of the RFID chip. In the nextstep as illustrated in FIG. 4, the wire is embedded into the nonconducting substrate (alternatively but not shown, the insulated wire islooped around the bond position so as to return the wire to thesubstrate, where the wire is then embedded into the non conductingsubstrate (tail position).

FIG. 14 of the S4 provisional graphically illustrates an alternativemethod of preparing the wire ends of the antenna for interconnection bylooping the wire around the bond position of an RFID chip. For thepurpose of clarity, the bond position of an RFID chip or module is alsothe terminal area of the device. In this figure, the chip module residesin a cavity and is supported by a second or third layer of substrate. InFIG. 14(B), the wire is looped around the first terminal area prior tointerconnection and as highlighted above the wire does not have to passover the terminal area, but positioned near the terminal area. Asclearly shown in FIG. 14(B), the looped wire is left to dangle near thefirst terminal area and in the next step the wire is placed or embeddedonto or into the substrate to form the antenna. FIG. 14(C), reinforcesthe concept of looping around the bond position, by creating a loop nearthe terminal area.

U.S. Provisional Application 60/883,064 filed Jan. 1, 2007 by Finn(“S5”) describes a technique for producing an RFID inlay with an arrayof transponder sites, especially used in the manufacturing ofcontactless smart cards and electronic passports, by embedding orplacing a section of a wire conductor into or onto a substrate near thefirst terminal area of an RFID chip, raising the wire conductor off thesubstrate to form a free standing loop along side the first terminalarea, then returning to the level of the substrate and continuing thewire embedding or placement process to form an antenna with a givennumber of turns in or on the substrate. After forming the antenna, thewire conductor may be positioned along side the second terminal area inthe same manner as described above, resulting in a loop on each side ofthe respective terminal areas. Then, the wire conductor is placed orembedded onto or into the substrate over a short distance before cuttingthe wire. In the next stage of the process, the loops may bemechanically drawn in over the terminal areas in preparation forinterconnection to the terminals.

FIGS. 2A and 2B herein correspond to FIGS. 1A and 1B of the S5provisional, and illustrate a technique for forming free-standing loops,referred to herein as “jump loops”.

FIG. 2A illustrates an inlay 200 (compare 100) comprising a substrate202 (compare 102) which may be a multi-layer substrate. An antenna wire216 (such as an HF antenna, compare 116) is mounted to (embedded in oradhesively placed on) the substrate 202. The antenna is shown as a coilantenna having two ends, but it could as well be two separate wires (adipole antenna using wire squiggles to enhance performance).

The substrate 202 may be one of several locations on a larger substratewhereupon a plurality of inlays are being manufactured, and in thisregard, the reference numeral “202” may be considered to be a“transponder (or inlay) site”.

Attention is directed to end portions 216 a and 216 b (compare 116 a,116 b) of the antenna wire 216. The end portions 216 a and 216 b willultimately be connected to corresponding terminals 212 and 214 of atransponder chip 210.

More generally, if the transponder chip 210 is not already in place whenthe antenna wire is mounted to the substrate, and the two loops areformed, the reference numeral 210 would refer to a site for atransponder chip (or chip module), the reference numeral 212 would referto a first “terminal area”, and the reference numeral 214 would refer toa second “terminal area”. Alternatively, a recess or cavity 226(described in the next paragraph) can be considered to be the “site” forthe not-yet-in-position transponder chip.

A recess or cavity 226 may be formed in the surface of the substrate tohelp align (locate), as well as to recess (lower the position of), thetransponder chip 210. In a multi-layer substrate, the recess or cavity226 may extend into the substrate from a surface of the substrate,through at least a top layer of the substrate, extending to a lowerlayer of the substrate. When the transponder chip 210 is disposed in(received by) the cavity 226, it will be supported by the lower layer(s)of the substrate. A multi-layer substrate is illustrated in FIG. 8.

The end portions 216 a and 216 b of the antenna wire 216 (or wires,plural, in the case of a dipole antenna) are not mounted to (embedded inor adhesively placed on) the substrate 202. Rather, in the processmounting, described in greater detail hereinbelow, the end portions 216a and 216 b of the antenna wire 216 are left unmounted, and are thus“free-standing”. In this embodiment, the end portions 216 a and 216 b ofthe antenna wire 126 are each formed as generally upside-down U-shapedloops, similar in appearance to a conventional wire-bonding loop. Eachof these loops formed by the end portions 216 a and 216 b of the antennawire 126 may be in a plane which may be substantially perpendicular tothe surface of the substrate. Generally, if the plane of the loops isinclined, it should be inclined away from the transponder site so as notto interfere with subsequent installation of a transponder chip at thetransponder site.

In the next embodiment, described hereinbelow with respect to FIGS. 2Cand 2D, loops which are in planes which are substantially parallel to orcoincident with the surface of the substrate. It should be understoodthat an important feature of loops formed by the end portions 216 a and216 b of the antenna wire 126 is that they are not mounted to (embeddedin or adhesively positioned on) the substrate, but rather are“free-standing”, and can be manipulated (their position and/ororientation changed), to some extent (thin wire has some malleabilityand elasticity).

An important feature of the loops is that they are located adjacent(next to, along side of) first and second terminal areas (or terminals212 and 214, if the transponder chip 210 is in place) for thetransponder chip 210, in preparation for connecting the loops to theterminals of the transponder chip (once it is in place). As mentionedabove, they can be manipulated, so that in a next step (illustrated inFIG. 2B) they will be positioned above terminals of the transponder chip(once the transponder chip 210 is in its place (216) on the substrate202).

FIG. 2B illustrates that the loops are subsequently (such as after thetransponder chip is in place) manipulated (drawn in, deflected, moved,bent, repositioned, extended) to be substantially directly over theterminals 212, 214 of the transponder chip 210, in preparation forinterconnection (such as bonding) to the terminals 212, 214 of thetransponder chip 210.

The transponder chip 210 may or may not have been in place prior tomounting the antenna and forming the loops. In FIGS. 2A and 2B, thetransponder chip 210 is shown already in place, located in a cavity orrecess 226 (dashed lines surrounding the transponder chip 210) formed inthe surface of the inlay substrate 202 to accommodate (receive, locate,recess) the transponder chip 210. The transponder chip 210 is shownpositioned in the cavity 226.

When the transponder chip 210 is in place (installed on the substrate,at the transponder site), the loops are drawn in (re-positioned,manipulated to be) over the terminals, and then the loops are connected(bonded) to the terminals of the transponder chip. If the wire is aninsulated wire, there may (or may not) be an insulation removal stepbefore connecting (bonding) the loops to the terminals.

It should be understood that it is not necessary to bond an entire loopto a terminal, rather only a portion thereof, such as a tip (apex)portion.

It should also be understood that if the antenna wire is an insulatedwire, having one or more coatings to assist (for example) in mounting byadhesively placing the antenna wire on the substrate, the coating(s)(self bonding coat and insulation layer) should be removed prior tobonding. Removal of the coating(s) (insulation) from an insulated wire(from the loops, or from tips of the loops—importantly from a portion ofthe wire that will be bonded to the terminal(s) of the transponder chip)are discussed in greater detail hereinbelow (and may involve usingapparatus such as a laser or a hot iron to remove the coating(s)), andcan be done (performed) either during mounting the antenna wire, orafter having mounted the antenna wire over slots and formed the loops inpreparation for bonding.

FIGS. 2C and 2D herein correspond to FIGS. 4A and 4B of the S5provisional, and illustrate and illustrate an alternative technique forforming free-standing loops, referred to herein as “planar loops”.(Generally, similar elements are renumbered with +50 increment.)

Although the loops of this method do not resemble wire bonding loops,they are nevertheless “free-standing” in the sense that while the restof the antenna wire is mounted to (embedded in or adhesively placed on)the substrate, the end portions of the wire are not mounted, but rather(as in the previous example) are located adjacent terminal areas for thetransponder chip in preparation for being bonded to the terminals of thetransponder chip, then with the transponder chip in place aremanipulated (repositioned) to be substantially directly above theterminals of the transponder chip, then are bonded to the terminals ofthe transponder chip. However, as will be seen, in this embodiment, theloop ends of the antenna wire are substantially either in the plane ofthe surface of the substrate, or in a plane substantially parallel tothe surface of the substrate.

FIG. 2A illustrates an inlay 250 (compare 200) comprising a substrate252 (compare 502) which may be a multi-layer substrate. An antenna wire266 (compare 216) is mounted to the substrate 252. As in thepreviously-described embodiment, the antenna is shown as a coil antennahaving two ends, but it could as well be two separate wires (a dipoleantenna with or without squiggles or zigzag patterns). As in thepreviously-described embodiment, the substrate 252 may be one of severallocations on a larger substrate whereupon a plurality of inlays arebeing manufactured, and in this regard, the reference numeral “252” maybe considered to be a “transponder (or inlay) site”.

Attention is directed to end portions 266 a and 266 b (compare 216 a,216 b) of the antenna wire 266. The end portions 266 a and 266 b willultimately be connected to corresponding terminals 262 and 264 (compare212, 214) of a transponder chip 260 (compare 210).

As in the previously-described embodiment, if the transponder chip 260is not already in place when the antenna wire is mounted to thesubstrate, and the two loops are formed, the reference numeral 260 wouldrefer to a site for a transponder chip (or chip module), the referencenumeral 262 would refer to a first “terminal area”, and the referencenumeral 264 would refer to a second “terminal area”. Alternatively, arecess or cavity 276 (described in the next paragraph) can be consideredto be the “site” for the not-yet-in-position transponder chip.

A recess or cavity 276 (compare 226) may be formed in the surface of thesubstrate to help align (locate), as well as to recess, the transponderchip 260. As in the previously-described embodiment, in a multi-layersubstrate, the recess or cavity 276 may extend into the substrate from asurface of the substrate, through at least a top layer of the substrate,extending to a lower layer of the substrate. When the transponder chip260 is disposed in (received by) the cavity 276, it will be supported bythe lower layer(s) of the substrate.

The end portions 266 a and 266 b of the antenna wire 266 (or wires,plural, in the case of a dipole antenna) are not mounted to (embedded inor adhesively placed on) the substrate 252. Rather, in the processmounting, described in greater detail hereinbelow, the end portions 266a and 266 b of the antenna wire 266 are left un-mounted, and are thus“free-standing”.

In the previous embodiment, the end portions 216 a and 216 b of theantenna wire 126 are each formed as generally upside-down U-shapedloops, similar in appearance to a conventional wire-bonding loop, andeach of the loops formed by the end portions 216 a and 216 b of theantenna wire 126 may be in a plane which may be substantiallyperpendicular to the surface of the substrate.

In this embodiment, slots or openings 282 and 284 are formed adjacentthe recess 276, generally on opposite sides of the recess 276, andgenerally adjacent the terminal areas 262, 275. These slots or openings282 and 284 extend completely through the substrate 252.

Loops formed in this embodiment are defined as portions of the endportions 266 a and 266 b of the antenna wire 266 which span (extendover) the slots or openings 282 and 284, substantially in the plane ofthe surface of the substrate. It should be understood that this includesextending in a straight line over the respective slot, as well ascurving away from the recess 276, then back towards the recess 276 asthe end portion of the wire transits the slot. In other words,generally, as the antenna wire is being mounted to the substrate, themounting process stops just before encountering the slot (where the wirecannot be mounted, anyway), and resumes after passing the slot. In theinterim, while traversing the slot, the wire can be caused to take anon-straight (curved) path, such as initially away from the recess 276then back towards it. A slightly curved loop path may provide someneeded slack in the wire for subsequent manipulation of the loop thusformed to a position above a terminal of a transponder chip, for bondingthereto. However, the wire typically used in these applications tends tohave sufficient malleability and elasticity that even a straight “loop”could be repositioned over the terminal of the transponder chip forbonding thereto.

As in the previously-described embodiment, an important feature of theloops is that they are located adjacent (next to, along side of) firstand second terminal areas (or terminals 262 and 264, if the transponderchip 260 is in place) for the transponder chip 260, in preparation forconnecting the loops to the terminals of the transponder chip (once itis in place). As mentioned above, they can be manipulated, so that in anext step (illustrated in FIG. 2B) they will be positioned aboveterminals of the transponder chip (once the transponder chip 260 is inits place (266) on the substrate 252).

FIG. 2D illustrates that the loops are subsequently (such as after thetransponder chip is in place) manipulated (drawn in, deflected, moved,bent, re-positioned, manipulated, extended, bent) to be substantiallydirectly over the terminals 262, 264 of the transponder chip 260, inpreparation for interconnection (such as bonding) to the terminals 262,264 of the transponder chip 260.

The transponder chip 260 may or may not have been in place prior tomounting the antenna and forming the loops. In FIGS. 2C and 2D, thetransponder chip 260 is shown already in place, located in a cavity orrecess 276 (dashed lines surrounding the transponder chip 260) formed inthe surface of the inlay substrate 252 to accommodate (receive, locate,recess) the transponder chip 260. The transponder chip 260 is shownpositioned in the cavity 276.

When the transponder chip 260 is in place (installed on the substrate,at the transponder site), the loops are drawn in over the terminals, andthen the loops are connected (bonded) to the terminals of thetransponder chip.

It should be understood that it is not necessary to bond an entire loopto a terminal, rather only a portion thereof. In the previous embodiment(jump loops), this could be a tip (apex) portion. In this embodiment(planar loops), if the loop traverses straight across the slot, it couldbe a mid-portion of the re-positioned loop—for example in FIG. 2D therepositioned (manipulated) loop does have an arcuate shape that has anapex to it.

As in the previously-described embodiment, it should also be understoodthat if the antenna wire is an insulated wire, having one or morecoatings to assist (for example) in mounting by adhesively placing theantenna wire on the substrate, the coating(s) should be removed prior tobonding. Removal of the coating(s) from an insulated wire (from theloops, or from tips of the loops—importantly from a portion of the wirethat will be bonded to the terminal(s) of the transponder chip) arediscussed in greater detail hereinbelow (and may involve using a laserto remove the coating(s)), and can be done (performed) either duringmounting the antenna wire, or after having mounted the antenna wire andformed the loops in preparation for bonding.

In a final step, the wire ends of the antenna residing over theterminals of the transponder chip are connected (bonded) to theterminals of the chip. The interconnection process can for example beinner lead bonding (diamond tool), thermal compression bonding(thermode), ultrasonic bonding or laser welding. Prior tointerconnection the insulation layer of the wire conductor may (or maynot) be removed.

There have thus been described two embodiments of loops in end portionsof an antenna wire (or two antenna wires, in the case of a dipoleantenna). In both embodiments, the loop comprises an un-mounted (freestanding) end portion of the antenna wire, substantially the entireremainder of the antenna wire being mounted to (embedded in oradhesively positioned on) the substrate.

The jump loops described with respect to FIGS. 2A and 2B are arcuate,and pre-positioned in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to thesurface of the substrate. The planar loops described with respect toFIGS. 2C and 2D may be substantially linear, or may be arcuate, and arepre-positioned in a plane that is substantially coplanar with thesurface of the substrate.

Generally, the longitudinal extent of either one of the jump loops orplanar loops may be approximately 3-4 mm for a chip module. This is theportion of the wire, near the end of the wire, that is not mounted tothe substrate. It should be understood, and is described in greaterdetail hereinbelow, with respect to FIG. 4A, that in both embodiments,the extreme end (such as the last 8 mm of the antenna wire is alsoembedded.

As discussed above, after the transponder chip is installed, the loopsmay be repositioned so as to be over the terminals of the transponderchip, for connecting thereto. It should be understood that the loopsneed not actually contact the terminals when re-positioned. It is,however, important that the loops be above (such as directly above) therespective terminals to which they will be bonded. When the bonding toolis brought to bear upon the re-positioned loop to connect it to theterminal, downward motion (analogous to 334) of the bonding tool willurge the loops into contact with the terminals, during the bondingprocedure.

In this embodiment, the purpose of the slots 282, 284 on each side ofthe window/recess 276 is to allow a mechanical tool (discussedhereinbelow, FIG. 9B) to pass through the substrate 252 with theobjective of aligning the wire conductor in the direction of theterminal area of the RFID (transponder) chip which will be (or alreadyis) located in the window/recess 276. The slots permit a tool to grab(or push) the planar loop of the end portion of the antenna onto theterminal for connection (bonding) thereto.

In producing a transponder inlay, the substrate is prepared with awindow and slots on each side of the window at each transponder site.The window can have underlying layers of substrate to support the chip,whereas the slots can extend through all of substrate layers of theinlay to allow the mechanical tool to manipulate the wire conductor(ends of the antenna) on the top substrate layer.

In commencing a transponder site, the following sequence of steps mayoccur:

-   -   (a) an RFID chip is positioned in the cavity (window);    -   (b) the wire conductor is routed over the first slot along side        the first terminal area;    -   (c) the antenna is formed with several turns of wire;    -   (d) the wire conductor is passed over the second slot along side        the second terminal area;    -   (e) then the two wire ends of the antenna passing over the two        slots are manipulated to be drawn in over the terminal areas and        thus creating loops dangling over the terminals of the chip;    -   (f) the loops are further manipulated to be ready for        interconnection; and    -   (g) the loops are interconnected to the chip using conventional        bonding techniques.

Generally, the methods described hereinabove (with respect to FIGS.2A/2B and 2C/2D) separate the embedding (or placement) of the antennawire and the interconnection to the transponder chip processes in themanufacture of the transponder inlay. In a first step, the embedding orplacement of the antenna at each transponder site on the inlay may beperformed by a wire routing station. In a second step the placement ofthe RFID chip in the window or cavity at each transponder site may beperformed by a pick & place station. And, in a final step theinterconnection of the wire ends of the antenna to the terminal areas ofthe chip is undertaken in a separate bonding station. See, for example,FIG. 10.

In the prior art (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,698,089) all of these stepswould generally be done at one station. By separating the steps,efficiencies can be increased—for example, the embedding process maytake 10 to 12 seconds per head, while the bonding process is only a fewseconds. By separating the manufacturing processes, into differentstations, the up-time of the machines and the yield can be increased.

Using the methods disclosed herein, a transponder site may be started byusing the ultrasonic wire guide tool to embed or place a section of thewire conductor into or onto the substrate along side the edge of thewindow or recess (or cavity) where the chip will reside, the ultrasonicwire guide tool embeds or places the wire conductor into or onto thesubstrate creating an antenna with a given number of turns, then embedsor places the wire conductor into or onto the substrate along side theedge of the window on the opposite side. Therefore, the wire conductoris routed along side both edges of the window. (And, the ends may forfree-standing loops or planar loops spanning slots next to terminalareas.) In the next stage of the process in a separate station the chipis placed in the window, meaning that the wire ends of the antenna arenow routed in or on the substrate along side the terminal areas of thechip.

For the purpose of alignment using a vision system, it is possible tohave index holes or slots in the substrate on each side of the cavity tosupport the mechanical positioning of the wire conductor to the terminalareas. Finally, the wire ends of the antenna routed along the two sidesof the window where the chip resides are drawn in over the terminalareas for interconnection.

An alternative method which may be applicable for a substrate in which achip module and the antenna are positioned on a common substrate,whereby the antenna resides on the top side of the substrate and themodule on the bottom side. The substrate has a cavity to accommodate themould mass of the chip module and slots or holes to create an opening inthe substrate to the terminal areas of the chip module forinterconnection and the wire conductor is placed or embedded onto orinto the top surface of the substrate when forming an antenna and thechip module resides below the substrate, whereby the wire ends of theantenna are connected through the slots in the substrate to the terminalareas of the chip module. In forming the antenna, the wire conductor ispassed over the slots in preparation for interconnection.

As described above, the inlay may comprise several layers of substratein which the electronic components are sandwiched between these layers.In the final production step, the layers of substrate are either coldlaminated (an adhesive process) or hot laminated.

Section 3 Method and Apparatus for Embedding Antenna Wire in an InlaySubstrate

An Embedding Tool

FIGS. 3A-C illustrate an embodiment of an embedding tool 300, forembedding a wire 316 in a substrate 302, and for forming loops (such asjump loops and planar loops, as described above) in the wire, inpreparation for bonding to terminals of a transponder chip in an inlaysubstrate.

Generally, another tool would reposition the loop over the terminal(e.g., 112/114, 212/214, 262/264) of a device (e.g., 110, 200, 250), andexamples are shown hereinbelow (FIGS. 9A and 9B). And, another tool,such as a conventional thermode (not shown) would be needed to connect(such as by thermocompression bonding) the repositioned loop to theterminal of the device.

Generally, the wire 316 may be a bare metal (such as copper or gold)wire, or is may be an insulated wire having one or more coatings. Aninsulated wire is described hereinbelow, with respect to FIG. 6. Anexemplary wire is Electrisola brand enamelled copper wire. 0.010-0.50 mm(AWG 24-58) (0.010 mm=100 micron). A 112 micron wire may have only a fewmicrons of insulation on it.

The wire conductor 316 can be for example self-bonding copper wire orpartially coated self bonding copper wire, enamel copper wire orpartially coated enamel wire, silver coated copper wire, un-insulatedwire, aluminum wire, doped copper wire or litz wire.

The embedding tool 300 comprises:

-   -   a sonotrode/ultrasonic horn 330 having an end 332 for embedding        a wire 316;    -   a rotary wire guide 340 disposed adjacent the end 332 of the        sonotrode 330 for feeding the wire 316 to under the end 332 of        the sonotrode 330; and    -   a cutting mechanism 350 disposed adjacent the rotary wire guide        340 for severing (cutting) the wire 316.

The sonotrode 330 has a generally cylindrical end portion, terminatingin an end 332 which is for embedding the wire. Unlike conventionalsonotrodes which have wire feeding down the center of the sonotrode, orthrough the side of the sonotrode (the wire 316 is not fed through thesonotrode 330 at all. The sonotrode may be similar to the vibratingpunch (92) of U.S. Pat. No. 6,698,089 which shows (in FIG. 12) that aseparate wire guide (95) feeds the wire to under the end of thevibrating punch. However, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,698,089 the end surface ofthe vibrating punch has a channel shape, and the sonotrode 330 does not.

Generally, as will become evident from further discussion, a reason thatthe sonotrode 330 does not (or should not) have a channel shape is tomaintain its isotropic ability to perform its function equally, movingin any (x, y) direction on the plane of the substrate without changingits rotational position, and a separate rotary wire guide 340 takes careof changing the trajectory of the wire. However, it is within the scopeof the invention that the “business end” 332 of the sonotrode have aprofile particularly adapted to embed (or, as discussed elsewhere, toadhesively position) the wire on the substrate.

The sonotrode 330 is capable of moving up and down, as illustrated bythe arrow 334, so that when the wire 316 is positioned underneath theend 332 of the sonotrode 330, the wire may be urged against the surfaceof the substrate 302 for embedding in the surface of the substrate.(Typical up/down movement in the range of 1-2 mm.) Alternatively, whenthe sonotrode 330 is lifted, the wire 316 will not be urged against thesurface of the substrate 302. A mechanism for positioning the sonotrodeeither down (urging the wire against the surface of the substrate) or up(not urging the wire against the surface of the substrate) iscommonplace (well-known), and is omitted from the figure, forillustrative clarity.

When the wire 316 is urged against the surface of the substrate 302 bythe end 332 of the sonotrode 330, the sonotrode 330 is generally causedto vibrate, typically at an ultrasonic frequency such as 60 KHz, tocause the wire 316 to embed into the surface of the substrate 302. Amechanism for causing the sonotrode 330 to vibrate is commonplace, andis omitted from the figure, for illustrative clarity.

The embedding of insulated wire or self bonding wire into a syntheticsubstrate may performed using an ultrasonic horn and converter operatingat a frequency between 35 and 60 kHz, and exerting a force ofapproximately 5 N (Newton) to sink the wire into the substrate. To embedonto a paper substrate, more pressure (approximately 15 to 20 N) isrequired to form an adhesive attachment between the self-bondinginsulated wire and the paper substrate.

If self-bonding wire is used, it is possible to place the wire (adhesiveprocess) on the substrate rather than embed it. This can be accomplishedwith the sonotrode 330 functioning as an ultrasonic horn (as inembedding), since the vibrations will generate heat. Alternatively oradditionally, a heating element may (or may not) be provided in thesonotrode 330 for performing or assisting in adhesively placing(bonding) a self-bonding wire to the substrate, but is generally notnecessary.

The entire ultrasonic embedding tool 300 is capable of beingrotationally positioned (“turned”, in contrast to “rotating”), about anaxis (CL), as illustrated by the arrow 336. This turning capability ofthe sonotrode is important when routing the wire conductor around therectangular corners of an antenna coil shape (such as shown in FIGS. 2A,2B, 2C, 2D). A mechanism for turning the tool 300 is commonplace, and isomitted from the figure, for illustrative clarity.

The sonotrode 330 (the entire tool 300) is also capable of being movedalong (parallel to) the surface of the substrate 302, as indicated bythe arrows “x” and “y”. This movement of the sonotrode is important forforming the antenna pattern (such as the coil pattern of antenna 116).(Note that the up/down arrow 334 would represent the “z” axis in the“xyz” orthogonal coordinate system.)

The rotary wire guide 340 is generally cylindrical, fitting like asleeve (or a tube) on the end portion of the sonotrode 330 and is freeto be rotationally positioned (turned) independent of the sonotrode 330,as indicated by the arrow 346 (compare 336). Generally, no independentup/down motion of the wire guide 340 is needed, it can move up and downwith the sonotrode 330 (arrow 334). (The wire guide is analogous to theouter race of a ball bearing, with the sonotrode being the inner race.The outer race can turn independent of the inner race, but will alwaysbe in the same plane as the inner race.) A mechanism for turning thewire guide is commonplace, and is omitted from the figure, forillustrative clarity.

The purpose of the wire guide 340 is to guide wire 316 from an externalsupply (discussed below) to under the end 332 of the sonotrode 330, sothat the wire 316 can be (if desired, with the sonotrode in the “down”position) embedded in to the surface of the substrate 302. In order toeffect this purpose, the end 342 of the wire guide 340 is provided witha small feed hole (or “eye”, as in eye of a needle) 344 through whichthe wire 316 can be inserted (or “threaded”, akin to threading a sewingmachine needle). This is best viewed in FIG. 3B where the wire 316 canbe seen passing through the wall of the wire guide 340, at approximatelya 45-degree (30-60 degree) angle.

To put things in perspective, and by way of example only:

-   -   the diameter of the bottom end portion of the sonotrode 330 may        be approximately 8 mm;    -   the spacing between the sonotrode 330 and the wire guide 340 may        be approximately 100 microns;    -   the wire guide 340 may have a wall thickness of 4 mm.    -   the wire 316 may have a diameter of approximately 112 microns;        and    -   the hole 344 through the wall of the wire guide 340 may be        approximately 300 microns.

When the sonotrode 330 rises up (arrow 334), it moves approximately 1-2mm.

When different wire sizes are used (wires having a diameter which iseither smaller or larger than 112 microns may be used), the wire guide,or a separate sleeve (not shown) defining the hole through which thewire passes, may need to be changed to accommodate the different wiresize.

The wire 316 is fed/directed (provided, guided) to the wire guide 340 bya nozzle 360. The nozzle 360 is generally cylindrical, having an axialbore sufficient to accommodate the wire 316 passing axiallytherethrough. The nozzle 360 is positioned by any suitablemechanism/linkage, indicated by the dashed line 364 so that its end 362(left, as viewed) is adjacent/near (such as 5 mm away from) the hole 344in the wire guide 340, and so that it moves with the wire guide 340 on a1:1 basis (up/down, rotating).

In order to feed the wire conductor back and forth through theultrasonic wire guide tool, a wire tension/push mechanism can be used orby application of compressed air it is possible to regulate the forwardand backward movement of the wire conductor by switching the air flow onand off which produces a condition similar to the venturi effect.

The nozzle 360 is provided with at least one inlet 366. Compressed air(gas) may be provided through the inlet.

A similar nozzle, or another inlet to the same nozzle, may be used tointroduce laser light via a glass fiber while embedding (or placing) thewire, as discussed below with respect to FIG. 7A.

A conventional clamping mechanism 370 is provided, typically upstream ofthe nozzle 360, for securing/holding the wire 316, and would move on a1:1 basis with the nozzle 360. Generally, when the clamping mechanism370 is not clamping the wire 316, the wire is free to play out from asupply spool (not shown), such as when an end of the wire 316 isembedded in the surface of the substrate, and the sonotrode 330 ismoving (such as to create an antenna pattern), or when the wire guide340 is moving (such as to create a loop shape), or both.

The primary reason for clamping the wire is during cutting andpreventing the wire from moving especially when the head is moving athigh speed from one transponder site to the next.

Clamping the wire may also be needed to put tension on the wire whengoing around corners (such as when making a rectangular coil antenna).

The above describes all the mechanism which is needed to embed the wire316 in the surface of the substrate 302, and form a loop adjacent aterminal of a device. All that's left is to cut off the wire 316, andstart another operation, on the same or another inlay.

A cutter 350 is provided, generally concentric with the wire guide 340,and has a cutting edge 352 generally diametrically opposed to the wirefeed hole 344 of the wire guide 340. The cutter 350 is capable of movingup and down (arrow 354) independent of the sonotrode 330 (andindependent of the wire guide, which moves up and down with thesonotrode). However, the cutter 350 may be splined to the wire guide 340so that its rotational position is maintained constant with respect tothe wire guide. When the cutter 350 moves down, it severs (chops off)the wire in “guillotine” fashion. The cutter is generally conventional.

It should be understood that the wire guide 340 may not need to be acomplete cylinder, since its function is primarily feeding the wire 316through the eye 344. Similarly, the cutter 350 may not need to be acomplete cylinder, since its function is primarily cutting the wire at aposition (with respect to the sonotrode 330) that is diametricallyopposed to the feed hole (eye) of the wire guide, but is should havesome substantial arcuate extent, such as at least 45 degrees, up to 90degrees, or up to 180 degrees, so that it can cut misaligned wires.

An advantage of the rotary wire guide (340) and cutting unit (350) isthe ability to form the wire in preparation for interconnection, andalso to create “squiggles” for UHF antennae. For example, in a dipoleantenna having two lengths of wire, each having an end bonded to aterminal of the transponder chip, each length of wire extending inopposite directions away from the transponder chip, a greater length ofwire can be mounted to a limited space by making a series of “S-curves”,or squiggles.

For the purpose of clarity, the ultrasonic horn (such as sonotrode 330)should be sufficient in size to cover an area at least the width of ahigh frequency antenna with 4 or 5 turns of wire. This means that thehorn heats and presses the self-bonding wire onto the substrate informing the antenna several times to ensure adequate adhesion. (so, itsdiameter must be greater than the sum of wire diameters and spacingsbetween the wires) Alternatively, the ultrasonic horn can sink or scribea wire conductor into a substrate.

Loop Forming, using the Embedding Tool

As discussed hereinabove, end portions of the antenna wire(s) may not bemounted to (embedded in or adhesively placed on) the substrate, and mayremain free-standing, adjacent a terminal area of a transponder site(or, if the transponder is already in place, adjacent the terminals ofthe transponder), in preparation for bonding, and this may be done at astation which is separate from a station for placing the transponder onthe inlay, and separate from a station for bonding the looped endportions of the antenna wire(s) to the terminals of the transponderchip.

FIGS. 4A-4D illustrate an example of embedding (or adhesively placing) awire 416 (compare 216, 266, 316) in a substrate 402 (compare 202, 252),forming a loop adjacent a terminal area (or terminal) 412 (compare212/214, 262/264) of a transponder site (not shown, compare 226, 276) ortransponder (not shown, compare 210, 260), and forming a pattern such asa rectangular coil pattern for an antenna 416 (compare 116, 216, 266).FIG. 5 is a listing of the steps (method) involved.

As described hereinabove, the embedding tool (300) may start (commence)mounting the antenna and forming the coil pattern for the antenna bylowering itself (arrow 334) down onto the surface of the substrate tourge the wire 416 into the substrate, with the ultrasonic vibratorturned on, to embed a free end of the wire 416, which is under the end(332) of the sonotrode (330) into the surface of the substrate 402. Thisis denoted by “starting point” labelled “a”. See step 502—lowerembedding tool, start embedding wire.

Alternatively, if adhesively placing the wire, heat may be used insteadof vibration to mount the wire to the surface of the substrate. In thisdescription, mounting by embedding is primarily discussed, but one ofordinary skill in the art will certainly understand how to apply theteachings to adhesively placing a wire on the surface of the substrate.

The embedding tool then moves in a plane (x-y) parallel to the surfaceof the substrate 402, as indicated by the arrow 419, but only a shortdistance sufficient to ensure embedding, to the point “b”, and then theembedding tool stops vibrating and raises up (arrow 334). See step504—move only a little, stop embedding, raise embedding tool. Thedistance between the points “a” and “b” may be 5 to 8 mm.

Next, the embedding tool is moved, and this many include rotationallypositioning the wire guide (340), to form a free-standing loop in thewire, between the points “b” and “c”. Typically, the free-standing loopwill be formed adjacent a terminal area of a device (as discussedhereinabove, which may be before (or after) the device (the transponderchip) is mounted to the substrate The distance between the points “b”and “c” may be 3-5 mm for a chip, or 4-5 mm for a chip module. See FIG.4C, terminal 412 (corresponding to terminal 112 of device 110 in FIG. 1)See step 506—form a free-standing loop. (It should be understood thatthe dimensions set forth herein are exemplary and illustrative, andshould not be construed as limiting.)

As described above, the loop (between the points “b” and “c”) may be a“jump” loop similar to a wire bonding loop, in a plane perpendicular tothe surface of the substrate, or the loop may be a straight or bowedtransit over a slot in the substrate, in the plane of the substrate, ineither case the loop being adjacent the terminal area 412. Here,considering FIGS. 4A and 4C together, a loop in a plane somewherebetween 0 and 90 degrees to the surface of the substrate is shown, tocover both cases.

Next, at the point “c”, loop formation is finished, the embedding toolis again lowered (arrow 334), embedding of the wire 416 resumes(ultrasonic vibrations start), and the embedding tool moves along aprescribed path, parallel to the surface of the substrate, to form adesired pattern, such as the square coil for the antenna 116 shown inFIG. 1. See step 508—resume embedding, describe pattern

FIG. 4D shows both terminals 412 and 414 of the transponder chip 410, indashed lines. FIG. 4C shows only one terminal 412, for illustrativeclarity. A showing of the transponder chip 410 is omitted from the viewof FIG. 4E, for illustrative clarity.

As best viewed in FIG. 4C, the wire 416, as mounted (and looped) ispre-positioned other than over the terminal 412 of the transponder chip410 (or, as mentioned before, over a terminal “area” whereat a terminalwill be located when the transponder chip is installed), and also it isnot over the transponder chip 410 (or transponder chip site, if thetransponder is not yet mounted, which may be a recess, such as 226, 276for the transponder chip). Since the antenna wire 416 does not pass overthe terminals of the transponder chip when initially mounted, thisallows the transponder chip 410 to be installed after the antenna wireis mounted to (embedded in or adhesively placed on) the substrate, afterwhich the loop(s) in the end portion(s) of the antenna wire(s) arere-positioned (moved, deflected) to be substantially over the respectiveterminal of the transponder chip for connecting (bonding) thereto.

At the point “d”, the embedding tool needs to make a 90-degree turn toform a subsequent (second) side of the rectangular coil (116). The90-degree corner angle at point “d” is by way of example. Generally, atsome point in making the pattern, the tool will have to make some angle,which need not be 90-degrees, it could be more, or less. (Eventually,after moving around the substrate, mounting (embedding or adhesivelyplacing) the antenna wire, the embedding tool will need to return tonear its starting point.)

Generally, to make a corner (or, more generally, to deviate from astraight line of motion) there are two possibilities. Possibility1—everything (the sonotrode 330, the wire guide 340, and the cutter 355can stop moving, then be rotated along the axis (CL) to the desired newpath angle (trajectory), and then embedding and moving along the patterncan resume.

For a normal sonotrode having wire being fed down the middle (centrelineof the sonotrode), such as in U.S. Pat. No. 6,698,089, that wouldgenerally be the case.

With the embedding tool 300, since the wire feed is offset from thecentreline (CL), and since the wire guide 340 is rotationallypositionable (346) independent of the sonotrode 330, in order to turnthe corner, Possibility 2 is that everything stops, the wire guide 340turns (is rotated 90-degrees with respect to the sonotrode 330 whichneed not rotate), then movement resumes along the new trajectory tocontinue with the pattern. See step 510—change direction by rotatingwire guide only.

The “turning with wire guide only”, is enabled be the fact that the wiredoes not feed through the sonotrode (330) at all, it only passes underthe end of the sonotrode, and since the sonotrode and wire guide areconcentric, and in any position of the wire guide with relationship tothe sonotrode, the wire passes substantially along a diameter of thesonotrode, substantially under the center point of the end of thesonotrode. It is within the scope of the invention that the entireembedding tool 300 may rotate to a new direction, in conjunction withthe wire guide moving to the new direction, so that the combinedrotational positioning of the sonotrode and wire guide add up to thedesired angle (in this example, 90-degrees) for the new patterntrajectory.

Also, since the end 332 of the sonotrode 330 does not have a channel,and the wire guide is separate, the sonotrode need not rotate. The wireguide 340 (and cutter 350) can rotate around the sonotrode 330.

As best viewed in FIG. 4D, embedding proceeds, as described above,changing angle, as may be required, until the pattern is complete and itis time to make a second loop for connection to a second terminal 414 ofthe device.

At the point “e”, the pattern is illustrated as being on its “finalapproach” to the second terminal area 414.

The next step is similar to the second part of the step 504. At thepoint “f”, the embedding tool stops vibrating and raises up (arrow 334).See step 512—stop embedding, raise embedding tool.

The next step is similar to the step 506. Next, the embedding tool ismoved, and this many include rotationally positioning the wire guide(340), to form a free-standing loop in the wire, between the points “f”and “g”. Typically, the free-standing loop will be formed adjacent aterminal area of a device (as discussed hereinabove, which may be before(or after) the device is mounted to the substrate The distance betweenthe points “b” and “c” may be 4 to 5 mm for a chip module. See FIG. 4C,terminal 414 (corresponding to terminal 114 of device 110 in FIG. 1) Seestep 514—form a free-standing loop.

The next step is similar to the first part of the step 504. Theembedding tool then moves in a plane (x-y) parallel to the surface ofthe substrate 402, but only a short distance sufficient to ensureembedding, to the point “h”, and then the embedding tool stops vibratingand the cutting tool 350 severs (cuts) the wire (arrow 354). See step516—sever wire.

The embedding tool can then move to another location on a substrate toprepare another site with an antenna and loops. See step 518—move toanother inlay (transponder) location on the inlay substrate.

Note that in FIG. 4D the loops are illustrated as being formed in anopposite direction from how they may ultimately be attached to theterminals 412, 414 of the device, such as was shown in FIG. 1 (or in theS5provisional, looping method #2). This is simply to illustrate that theloops may be formed other than over the terminals of the device, laterto be moved (deflected, repositioned) over the terminals, then bonded tothe terminals.

In FIG. 4E, the loops are shown having been re-positioned over theterminal areas 412 and 414 (which, once the transponder chip isinstalled is the terminals themselves), for subsequent bonding to theterminals of the transponder chip.

Bonding then may proceed in any conventional manner. The wire ends ofthe antenna, now residing over the terminals of the chip, are bonded tothe terminals of the chip. The interconnection (bonding) process can forexample be inner lead bonding (diamond tool), thermal compressionbonding (thermode), ultrasonic bonding or laser welding. Prior tointerconnection the insulation layer of the wire conductor can beremoved.

Section 4

This section is directed to additional features, such as:

-   -   Insulated, Self-Adhering wire    -   Insulation Removal    -   Personalizing an Inlay    -   Anti-skimming

These and other features disclosed herein may be combined with oneanother in various ways, some of which have been mentioned hereinabove.

Insulated, Self-Adhering Wire

As discussed hereinabove, the antenna wire may be mounted to thesubstrate by adhesively placing it, rather than embedding it. To do so,generally requires a “self-adhering” wire, an appropriate substratematerial, and means for causing the wire to adhere to the substrate.

In this section, the use of a “self-bonding” (or “self-adhering”) wirethat is mounted by adhesion to the surface of the substrate (such as302) rather than embedded into the surface of the substrate isdiscussed. The tool description is based on the embedding tool of FIG.3, which can be modified to perform the adhering function rather thanthe embedding function.

According to this feature of the invention, the insulated wire whichmakes up the antenna is placed onto or embedded into the substrate bymeans of a wire placement/embedding head incorporating a wire clamping &feeding mechanism, an ultrasonic horn, a rotary wire guide and cuttingunit, and optionally a UV curing station. Furthermore, the insulatedwire can have a coating of self-bonding material to facilitate theadhesion of the insulted enamel wire to a substrate comprising asynthetic material such as Teslin.

FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment of an insulated, self-adhering wire 600comprising:

-   -   a metallic core 602, having a diameter;    -   a first non-metallic coating 604 disposed on the surface of the        metallic core 602; and    -   a second non-metallic coating 606 disposed on the surface of the        first metallic coating 604.

The core 602 may comprise copper, aluminum, doped copper, gold, or Litzwire, and may have a diameter of 0.010-0.50 mm (AWG 24-58) (0.010 mm=100micron).

-   Litz wire Litz wire is a special type of wire used in electronics.    It consists of many thin wires, individually coated with an    insulating film and braided, thus increasing the surface area of the    conductor and thereby reducing the skin effect and associated power    losses when used with high-frequency applications. The word    originated from Litzendraht, German for braidswire.

The first coating 604, or “base coat” 604 may comprise modifiedpolyurethane, and may have a thickness of only a few microns.

The second coating 606, or “bond coat” 604 may comprise polyvinylbutyralor polyamide, and may have a thickness of only a few microns.

The composition of the insulated wire can have a base coat of modifiedpolyurethane and a bond coat of polyvinylbutyral or polyamide.

When mounting (adhesively placing) self-bonding wire, the wire coatingis chemically changed to react to the heat generated by the rubbing withthe ultrasonic horn (sonotrode 330). Additionally, ultraviolet (UV)light radiation may be used, in a curing station. The self-bondingcoating affords the strength of bonding (adhesively placing, orpositioning) the wire to the substrate with the ultrasonic horn, whilethe UV light hardens the adhesion.

In polymer chemistry and process engineering, “curing” refers to thetoughening or hardening of a polymer material by cross-linking ofpolymer chains, brought about by chemical additives, ultravioletradiation or heat.

Insulation Removal

As mentioned above, it is desirable to remove the insulation from atleast a portion (such as the tips) of the loops prior to bonding thelooped ends of the antenna wire to terminals of the transponder chip (orchip module).

As mentioned above, removal of insulation can be performed either (i) asthe loops are being formed, or (ii) after the antenna is mounted(embedded or placed) on the substrate and the loops have already beenformed, prior to bonding the loops to the terminals of the transponderchip.

In elaborating on the method to position the wire ends of an antennaadjacent to the terminal areas of an RFID chip as well as removing theinsulation from the wire in preparation for interconnection, it isparticularly advantageous to have the insulation removal unit close tothe wire embedding tool. The removal of the insulation can be per laser,gas flame or mechanical splicing. By having the insulation removal unitclose to the wire placing or embedding tool, it is possible to know theexact location of the insulation removal, so as to position a portion ofdangling wire along side the terminal area of the chip. For the purposeof clarity, the wire is first placed or embedded in commencing atransponder site adjacent to the chip, the un-insulated dangling wire ispositioned along side the first terminal area of the chip, then the wireis placed or embedded to form an antenna and finally the wire end isleft to dangle along side the second terminal area before placing orembedding the wire onto or into the substrate before cutting the wire.In the next stage of the process, the dangling wire is clamped andformed in preparation for interconnection.

FIG. 7A is similar to FIG. 3B, and illustrates removing insulation fromthe wire 716 (compare 316) immediately before it is mounted to (embeddedin or adhesively positioned on) the substrate (not shown). The sonotrode330, wire guide 340 and cutting mechanism of the embedding tool 300 areshown in this figure, as well as the eye 344 in the end of the wireguide 340 and the embedding end 332 of the sonotrode 330.

Although an insulated wire can be bonded to a terminal of a chip, it isdesirable to remove the insulation from the wire prior tointerconnection (bonding to the terminal of the transponder chip) toensure that no insulation residue is under the wire conductor at thebond site.

Before passing through the eye 344 of the wire guide 340, the wire 716,which is a coated wire, passes through an insulation-removal station770, which may comprise a nozzle where laser light can be introduced viaa glass fiber, to remove (ablate) the insulation from the wire 716.After passing through the insulation-removal station 770, the wire is nolonger coated, as indicated by the primed reference numeral 716′.

As shown in the drawing, a distance “s” represents how far in advance,along the length of the wire, the insulation needs to be removed tocontrol its final destination (such as at the tip of a loop).

FIG. 7B is similar to a portion of FIG. 2C, and illustratesinsulation-removal apparatus 780 such as a laser emitting a beam 781 forremoving insulation from an insulated wire after the wire has beenmounted, and before the loops are bonded to terminals of a transponderchip.

In this example, the beam 781 is aimed at a tip of a loop formed at anend 766 a (compare 266 a) of a wire 766 (compare 266) which is loopedadjacent a terminal 762 (compare 262) of a transponder chip 710 (compare260) on a substrate 752 (compare 252). A second terminal 764 (compare264) is shown. A recess 776 (compare 276) for the chip 760 (compare 260)is shown.

With these planar loops, with the insulted wire passing over slots 782,784 in the substrate 752, it is particularly advantageous to use anultra-violet (UV) laser 780 to remove the insulation. The UV laser usesoptical directing systems to remove the insulation, and the wire can beflooded (or protected by) with an inert gas, such as nitrogen, to avoidoxidation of the bare (such as copper) wire before bonding. In addition,the wire can be metalized with a coat solder or any metal to enhance theinterconnection (bonding) process.

For jump loops (see FIGS. 2A, 2B), the procedure may be quite similar towhat is shown in FIG. 7B for planar loops—namely, after the loop isformed, and typically before the transponder chip is installed, if thewire is insulated wire, the insulation is removed from at least theportion of the loop that will be connected (bonded) to the terminal ofthe transponder chip, typically before the loop is repositioned.

With a planar loop (FIGS. 2C, 2D) spanning a slot, it may be desirablethat the wire traverse the slot in a straight line (rather than in a“horizontal loop”), and that is held taut (rather than slack, assuggested hereinabove, to facilitate re-positioning the wire) by beingembedded on either side of the slot (refer, for example, to FIG. 4Ewhere the wire is mounted before the loop between points “a” and “b”,the loop is between the points “b” and “c”, and the wire is againmounted after the point “c”).

Personalizing the Inlay

This embodiment of the invention relates to doping the substrate withmicroscopic metal filings to form dipoles which creates a unique numberwhen interrogated by an ultra high frequency reader and storing thisinformation in the RFID chip on the substrate for enhanced security. Thetechnique is known for bank notes.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,471,878 (Greene et al.) describes a method for forming aradio frequency responsive target and apparatus for verifying theauthenticity of same. The abstract reads, as follows:

-   -   A method for forming a radio frequency responsive target formed        of a pattern of thin dipoles, each of which has a position and        angular orientation within the pattern, which produce a        composite analog radio frequency signal in response to an        interrogating signal. A first metallic film layer is deposited        on top of a non-conductive substrate, an etchant resistant        pattern correspondent to the thin dipole pattern is deposited on        top of the first metallic film layer, and a second metallic        layer occupying the first metallic layer in at least one area        without etchant is applied on top of the first metallic film        layer. The etchant resistant pattern is removed to expose        portions of the first metallic film layer, and the second        metallic layer and the exposed portions of the first metallic        film layer are etched simultaneously.

Doping a substrate with microscopic metal filings may produce acomposite analog radio frequency signal in response to an interrogatingsignal. Building on this concept, this embodiment (or feature) of theinvention is to use microscopic metal filings as dipoles scattered andembedded over a section of the inlay substrate for identification andauthentication purposes. Using an ultra high frequency reader thedipoles transmit (backscatter) in composite form a unique number to thereader. This means that every substrate or inlay site can have a uniquenumber and this number is stored in the RFID chip for verification.

Alternatively, an optical polymer memory operating on the basis ofhologram interference patterns can store unique codes which can be usedto identify the substrate or inlay site.

In addition to optical memory, it is also possible to print an RFID tagby depositing polymers on the insulated substrate to form organic thinfilm transistors (n-type and p-type). Polymers can be applied at roomtemperature and atmospheric pressure, utilizing ink jets or printingpress methods to build the organic semiconductor.

Anti-skimming

According to this embodiment (feature) of the invention, generally, forprivacy protection, a thin radio shield (anti-skimming material as ametal mesh or ferrite layer) can incorporates into the inlay substrate,such as sandwiched between two of the layers of the inlay substrate,whereby a capacitive gap remains between the transponder layer and thelayer with the anti-skimming material. This means that the digitalinformation in the chip(s) can only be read from one direction at shortdistance. The passport reader may have a ferrite cover or magneticmedium to enhance the read/write range when the electronic passport isbeing interrogated.

FIG. 8 illustrates an inlay 800 comprising a multi-layer substrate 802(compare 202) having one or more top layers 802 a, one or more layers802 b beneath (underlying) the top layers 802 a, one or more layers 802c beneath (underlying) the layers 802 b, and one or more layers 802 dbeneath (underlying) the layers 802 c. By way of example, a recess 826(compare 226) extends through the top layers 802 a, a transponder chip810 (compare 210) is disposed in the recess 826 and supported on theunderlying layers 802 b, the transponder chip 810 has at least oneterminal 812 (compare 212), and an end portion of an antenna wire 816(compare 216) is connected to the terminal 812.

The various layers 802 a, 802 b, 802 c, and 802 d may comprise severallayers of material (synthetic, fabric and or paper). The number oflayers of material is generally dependent on the thickness requirementof the final product such as a card, ticket or electronic document. Themixture of materials depends on the life expectancy and the durabilityrequirement of the final product.

A metallic, non-ferrous material, such as an aluminum mesh may beincorporated in one of the lower layers to attenuate flux (readability)in one direction—to make the inlay 800 less vulnerable to skimming(unauthorized reading). Here, an aluminum mesh 803 is shown incorporatedinto the bottommost layer 802 d of the substrate 802, particularly underthe wire 816. The aluminum mesh 803 is intended to reduce coupling(attenuate the RF field in one direction) to an external reader (notshown) in the downward (as viewed in the figure) direction.

A layer, such as an overlying layer (not shown) atop the layer 802 a,may contain ferrite to enhance coupling between the inlay and a reader(not shown) in that direction, thereby enhancing the “read distance”when in the electromagnetic field of the reader. Combined with thealuminum mesh feature 803, this may provide enhanced coupling andenhanced anti-skimming protection.

FIG. 8 also shows microscopic metal filings 805, in the second layer 802b, for personalizing the inlay 800, as discussed hereinabove.

Re-positioning Loops

The forming of jump loops (FIGS. 2A, 2B) and planar loops (FIGS. 2C,2D), and pre-positioning the loops adjacent terminals of a transponderchip, has been discussed hereinabove.

FIG. 9A shows a substrate 902 (compare 202) with a recess 926 (compare226) having a transponder chip 910 (compare 210) disposed in the recess.The transponder chip 910 has a terminal 912 (compare 212). An antennawire 916 (compare 216) is mounted to the substrate. A jump loop isformed in an end portion (compare 216 a or 216 b) of the antenna wireand is shown (in dashed lines) pre-positioned, free-standing, in avertical plane, in preparation for being re-positioned atop the terminal912 for connection (bonding) thereto.

A simple mechanical tool 960, such as elongate member with a pushing end962 may be urged against the free-standing loop to push it over onto(above, it need not be touching) the terminal 912 of the chip 910, asindicated by the arrow 964. The end 962 may be concave to “capture” thewire. The re-positioned wire is shown as a solid line, and referencenumeral 916′ (primed).

Alternatively, a “hook” type tool could be used to pull (rather thanpush) the wire to reposition it over the terminal. A hook type tool isshown in FIG. 9B.

FIG. 9B shows a substrate 952 (compare 252) with a recess 976 (compare276) having a transponder chip 960 (compare 260) disposed in the recess.The transponder chip 960 has a terminal 962 (compare 262). An antennawire 966 (compare 266) is mounted to the substrate. A planar loop isformed in an end portion (compare 266 a or 266 b) of the antenna wireand is shown pre-positioned, traversing a slot 982 (compare 282) throughthe substrate, in preparation for being re-positioned atop the terminal962 for connection (bonding) thereto.

A “push” tool such as 960 (FIG. 9A) can be inserted from below the slotto push the wire 966 up above the surface of the substrate 952, asindicated by the arrow 976, followed by a “pull” tool 978, in the formof a hook to pull the wire 966 over to atop the terminal 962. There-positioned wire is indicated by reference numeral 966′ (primed). (Asused herein, generally, a “hook” is an elongate member, having a curvedend which curves back towards the shank of the hook at least 90 degrees,up to 180 degrees.)

Alternatively, a push tool (as before) can be inserted from below theslot to push the wire 966 up above the surface of the substrate 952,followed by an other “push” tool (similar to 960) to push the wire 966over to atop the terminal 962.

Alternatively, a single hook-type pull tool (such as 978) may beinserted into the slot 982 from above, grabbing the wire 966, pulling itup a little then over to atop the terminal 962.

The wire 966 may be either go straight across the slot 982, and may betaut (firmly embedded on either side of the slot), or it may be slightlyslack.

Manufacturing Flow

The process steps to produce a high frequency transponder inlay usingthe jump loop method may generally be characterized as:

-   Step 1, embedding a wire conductor into a substrate and creating a    jump loop adjacent to the position of the first terminal area of an    unplaced chip; routing the wire conductor to form an antenna with a    given number of turns and then creating a second jump loop adjacent    to the position of the second terminal area of an unplaced chip.-   Step 2, removing the insulation layer from the tip of each jump loop    using for example an ultra violet laser, in preparation for    interconnection. It should be noted that the insulation layer can be    removed before the loops are formed.-   Step 3, an RFID chip is embedded into the substrate using thermal    energy for the purpose of sinking or attaching the chip into or onto    the substrate. In the case of a chip module, it may be advantageous    to have a cavity to accept the contour of the mould mass or the    entire module.-   Step 4, the jump loops are drawn in over the terminal areas using a    mechanical gripper on each side of the chip.-   Step 5, the un-insulated loops residing over the terminal areas of    the chip are interconnected for example using thermal compression    bonding, ultrasonic bonding or laser welding.

FIG. 10 illustrates a manufacturing flow 1000, showing a possibleorganization for the various manufacturing steps set forth hereinabove.

In a first step 1002, a substrate is prepared. The substrate may haveone or more (an array of) inlay sites. The substrate may be amulti-layer substrate, as discussed above. A given inlay site may have arecess (cavity, window) and may have slots, as described above.Substrates may be prepared well ahead of time, “off-line”.

In a next step 1004, and antenna wire is mounted to (embedded in,adhesively placed on) the substrate, as discussed above, leaving endportions of the wire un-mounted, and forming pre-positioned loops, asdiscussed hereinabove. (See FIGS. 2A/2B, and 2C/2D, also FIGS. 4 and 5).

Two mounting procedures have been discussed hereinabove—(1) embeddingthe wire in the surface of the substrate, and (2) “adhesivelypositioning” a self-bonding wire to the surface of the substrate.

In a next step 1006, which can be skipped if the wire is being embeddedin rather than adhesively placed on the substrate, the self-bonding wiremay be cured to the substrate, such as by using ultraviolet light, asdiscussed hereinabove.

In a next step 1008, which can be skipped if the wire is not insulated,the insulation is removed from the looped (un-mounted) portions of thewire, as discussed hereinabove. If the wire is an insulated wire, theinsulation can be removed either during mounting (see FIG. 7A), or aftermounting (see FIG. 7B), as discussed hereinabove.

As discussed hereinabove, there are generally two possibilitiesregarding chip installation—(1) the chip may have been installed on thesubstrate prior to mounting the wire and forming the loops (and, ifnecessary, curing and removing insulation from the wire), or the chipmay be installed on the substrate after mounting the wire and forming(pre-positioning) the loops.

In the process flow illustrated here, in a next step 1010, thetransponder chip is installed on the inlay substrate after mounting thewire forming the loops. Again, it should be understood that thesubstrate may be set up for a plurality of inlays, receiving a pluralityof transponder chips, such as a 3×6 array of inlays. Also, referringback to FIG. 1, it should be remembered that each secure inlay maycomprise two transponder chips which may be placed in this step.

One of ordinary skill in the art will readily understand how this, orother steps recited in this “fab flow” may be rearranged, recombinedand/or omitted to suit particular circumstances.

Next, in a step 1012, the loops are repositioned over terminals of thetransponder chip, in preparation for connecting (bonding) the ends ofthe antenna wire(s) to the terminals of the chip, as discussedhereinabove. The antenna may be a single wire coil loop having two ends,or may be two wires forming a dipole, each of the dipole wires havingone end for connecting to a terminal of the transponder chip, asdiscussed above.

Next in a step 1014, the loops of the antenna(s) are connected (bonded)to the terminals of the transponder chip.

Next, in a step 1016, various post-processing steps may be performed,such as assembling the transponder inlay with additional layers ofsheets in preparation for lamination

In a step 1018, if there are a plurality of inlays on a commonsubstrate, they may be singulated (separated) from the substrate.

In a step 1020, various post-processing steps applicable to individualsecure inlays may be performed.

Generally, each of the steps discussed hereinabove may be performed at adifferent station, or stations, in a manufacturing environment. This hasvarious advantages, such as improved yields from the manufacturingprocess and greater throughput from the embedding machine with lessoperators.

While the invention has been described with respect to a limited numberof embodiments, these should not be construed as limitations on thescope of the invention, but rather as examples of some of theembodiments. Those skilled in the art may envision other possiblevariations, modifications, and implementations that are also within thescope of the invention, based on the disclosure(s) set forth herein.

1. Method of forming an inlay substrate comprising a substrate, a siteon a surface of the substrate for a transponder chip and an antenna wirehaving two end portions, the method comprising: mounting a portion ofthe antenna wire, other than the end portions thereof, to the surface ofthe substrate; and leaving the end portions of the antenna wireun-mounted, as free-standing loops adjacent the site on the substrate;wherein mounting the antenna wire to a surface of the substratecomprises: providing an embedding tool, and with the embedding toolperforming the following steps: at a starting point on the surface ofthe substrate, commencing mounting the antenna by lowering an embeddingtool down onto the surface of the substrate to urge the wire into thesubstrate; moving the embedding tool in x and y directions respectivelyparallel to the surface of the substrate a short distance sufficient toensure embedding, to a second point, and then stopping embedding andraising up the embedding tool; forming a first free-standing loop in thewire, between the second point and a third point which is adjacent thesite on the inlay substrate; lowering the embedding tool and resumingembedding from the third point to a fourth point along a prescribedpath, parallel to the surface of the substrate, to form a desiredpattern for the antenna; at the fourth point, stopping embedding andraising up the embedding tool; forming a second free-standing loop inthe wire, between the fourth point and a point which is adjacent thesite on the substrate; and lowering the embedding tool and moving theembedding tool in the x and y directions parallel to the surface of thesubstrate a short distance sufficient to ensure embedding, to a sixthpoint, and then stopping embedding and raising up the embedding tool. 2.The method of claim 1, wherein mounting the portion of the antenna wirecomprises: embedding the portion of the antenna wire in the surface ofthe substrate.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein embedding comprises:application of ultrasonic energy to embed the portion of the antennawire into the surface of the substrate.
 4. The method of claim 1,wherein mounting the portion of the antenna wire comprises: adhesivelyplacing the portion of the antenna wire on the surface of the substrate.5. The method of claim 4, wherein adhesively placing the portion of theantenna wire comprises: application of ultrasonic energy to adhesivelyplace the portion of the antenna wire on the surface of the substrate.6. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the loops is disposed in aplane which is substantially perpendicular to the surface of thesubstrate.
 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: at the sixthpoint, cutting the wire.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the antennawire comprises a metallic wire covered by a coating of insulation, andfurther comprising: removing the coating of insulation from at least aportion of the loops.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein: removing thecoating comprises using a laser.
 10. The method of claim 8, wherein:removing the coating is performed during mounting the antenna wire. 11.The method of claim 8, wherein: removing the coating is performed aftermounting the antenna wire.
 12. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: installing a transponder chip on the substrate at the sitefor the transponder chip; and repositioning the free-standing loops tobe substantially directly over terminals of the transponder chip, inpreparation for interconnection of the loops to the terminals of thetransponder chip.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein: each of the loopsis disposed in a plane which is substantially perpendicular to thesurface of the substrate.
 14. The method of claim 12, wherein: each ofthe loops is disposed in a plane which is initially substantiallyperpendicular to the surface of the substrate; and each of the loops aresubsequently repositioned by pushing them over to be above a respectiveterminal of the transponder chip.
 15. The method of claim 1, wherein:the site for the transponder chip comprises a recess in the surface ofthe substrate.
 16. The method of claim 1, further comprising: providingslots in the substrate adjacent the site for the transponder chip. 17.The method of claim 16, wherein: the end portions of the antenna wirespan the slots.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein mounting the antennawire comprises: passing the antenna wire over a first one of the slotsin the substrate along a side of the site for the transponder chip;routing the antenna wire to form an antenna with a given number of turnsof insulated wire; and passing the antenna wire over a second one of theslots in the substrate along an opposite side of the site for thetransponder chip.
 19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:removing an insulation layer from a portion of the wire conductorpassing over each slot in the substrate; installing the transponder chipat the site for the transponder chip, so terminals of the transponderchip are along side the respective wire conductor passing over a slot;drawing the wire conductor in over the terminals of the transponderchip; and bonding the wire conductor to the terminals of the transponderchip.
 20. The method of claim 1, wherein: the substrate comprises amulti-layered substrate.
 21. The method of claim 7, further comprising:after cutting the wire, moving the embedding tool to another location onthe substrate to form another antenna.